Low-Cost Biochar Adsorbents for Water Purification Including Microplastics Removal
Year of publication
2020
Authors
Siipola, Virpi; Pflugmacher, Stephan; Romar, Henrik; Wendling, Laura; Koukkari, Pertti
Abstract
The applicability of steam activated pine and spruce bark biochar for storm water and wastewater purification has been investigated. Biochar samples produced from the bark of scots pine (Pinus sylvestrus) and spruce (Picea spp.) by conventional slow pyrolysis at 475 °C were steam activated at 800 °C. Steam activation was selected as a relatively inexpensive method for creating porous biochar adsorbents from the bark-containing sidestreams of the wood refining industry. A suite of standard analytical procedures were carried out to quantify the performance of the activated biochar in removing both cations and residual organics from aqueous media. Phenol and microplastics retention and cation exchange capacity were employed as key test parameters. Despite relatively low surface areas (200–600 m2/g), the steam-activated biochars were highly suitable adsorbents for the chemical species tested as well as for microplastics removal. The results indicate that ultra-high porosities are not necessary for satisfactory water purification, supporting the economic feasibility of bio-based adsorbent production.
Show moreOrganizations and authors
University of Helsinki
Pflugmacher Stephan
University of Oulu
Romar Henrik Gustav
Publication type
Publication format
Article
Parent publication type
Journal
Article type
Original article
Audience
ScientificPeer-reviewed
Peer-ReviewedMINEDU's publication type classification code
A1 Journal article (refereed), original researchPublication channel information
Journal
Parent publication name
Volume
10
Issue
3
Article number
788
Pages
788
ISSN
Publication forum
Publication forum level
1
Open access
Open access in the publisher’s service
Yes
Open access of publication channel
Fully open publication channel
Self-archived
Yes
Article processing fee (EUR)
1248
Year of payment for the open publication fee
2020
Other information
Fields of science
Chemical sciences; Environmental sciences; Plant biology, microbiology, virology; Materials engineering
Keywords
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Publication country
Switzerland
Internationality of the publisher
International
Language
English
International co-publication
No
Co-publication with a company
No
DOI
10.3390/app10030788
The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection
Yes