Remediation of emerging inorganic contaminants in soils and water using pristine and engineered biochar: a review

Abstract

Abstract Emerging contaminants (ECs) pose a growing threat to the agricultural ecosystems and human health. Biochar (BC) may be applied for the remediation of ECs in soils and water. There are some research papers that have been published about the potentiality of BC for the remediation of ECs in soils and water; however, there have been no critical and comprehensive review articles published on this topic up to now. Therefore, this review explores the application of pristine and modified BC for the remediation of various emerging inorganic contaminants (EICs), including vanadium (V), antimony (Sb), thallium (Tl), mercury (Hg), fluoride (F − ), and rare earth elements (REEs) in soils and water. The review explores the specific mechanisms by which BC removes these EICs from water and soil. The roles of ion exchange, complexation, electrostatic interactions, and precipitation in the removal of these EICs from water by pristine and functionalized BC have been reviewed and discussed. Particular attention is also paid to the interaction and potential immobilization of those EICs in soils with pristine and functionalized BC, highlighting some applicable strategies for treating EIC-contaminated soils, particularly paddy soils, aiming to mitigate the associated ecological and human health risks. Finally, the potential environmental implications and further research on the applications of pristine and functionalized BC for remediation of EICs in water and soils have been summarized. This article provides a comprehensive overview on the potential applications of different pristine and engineered BCs for the sustainable remediation of EICs contaminated soils and water. Graphical Abstract