An empirical and statistical investigation on decarbonizing groundwater using industrial waste-based biochar: Trading-off zero-waste management and zero-emission target.

Abstract

This study recommended a trade-off between zero-waste management of a brewery industry and zero-aim target of the drinking water sector. This study mainly aimed to decrease the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions resulting from groundwater treatment using biochar derived from malt sprout (MS) which is a waste by-product of a brewery industry. Also, CO₂ resulting from groundwater treatment was collected and gas adsorption was performed to define the CO₂ adsorption capacity of each biochar. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was performed to determine the effect of groundwater quality on CO₂ emissions. In the result of experimental and computational analysis, a new carbon capture indicator (CCI_B) was derived depending on biochar adsorption process, in this study. The results revealed that averagely 28.98 % of reduction on CO₂ emission from groundwater treatment was reported using the mixture of three malt sprout derived biochar. MS1 had the highest carbon capture capacity which was derived at 300 °C. According to (DEA) results, the optimum total organic carbon (TOC) should be 3.2 mg/L for the minimum CO₂ emission. Also, optimum biochar dose, contact time and gas flow were 8 g, 10 min and 965 mL/d, respectively for the maximum CO₂ adsorption by biochar according to Box-Behnken design method.