Transforming microalgae into high-performance biochar for circular and sustainable wastewater treatment

IF 6.6 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Journal of water process engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-19 DOI:10.1016/j.jwpe.2026.109691

Malak Bandar Omair , Mahammad Ali Saritala , Ahmad Nawaz , Shaikh Abdur Razzak

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The growing rates of industrialization and urbanization have worsened the problem of wastewater pollution, and traditional methods of treatment are limited by energy use, cost of operation, and low effectiveness against emerging pollutants. Microalgae-derived biochar is becoming a multi-purpose and sustainable adsorbent based on its good biochemical structure, good mineral content, and tunable surface characteristics. The current review critically discusses the recent advances in thermochemical conversion of microalgal biomass using pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, and torrefaction, coupled with physical and chemical activation processes, to obtain adsorbents with high performance in wastewater remediation. Biomass characteristics, conversion, strategies of activation, and adsorption mechanisms have been discussed systematically with a concentration on ion exchange, electrostatic attraction, π-π interaction, hydrogen bonding, or surface complexation. Microalgae-derived biochars consistently outperform lignocellulosic biochars, exhibiting adsorption capacities of up to ~480 mg/g for Cd²⁺ and near-complete removal of dyes and selected pharmaceuticals. Kinetic and isotherm analyses reveal that adsorption typically follows Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models, indicating monolayer chemisorption and strong surface–pollutant interactions. A framework of feedstock-to-function that connects microalgal characteristics, thermochemical treatment, and surface functionality to rational adsorbent design has been established in a circular bioeconomy context. To aid the transition of the laboratory scale study to the industrial scale, future research studies need to focus on optimization of conversion and regeneration, thorough techno-economic and life-cycle analysis, as well as performance validation within a real wastewater matrix to enable the laboratory scale research to be translated to the industrial scale.

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将微藻转化为高性能生物炭，用于循环和可持续废水处理

工业化和城市化速度的加快加剧了废水污染问题，而传统的处理方法受到能源消耗、操作成本和对新出现的污染物的有效性的限制。微藻生物炭因其良好的生化结构、良好的矿物质含量和可调的表面特性，正成为一种多用途、可持续发展的吸附剂。本文综述了微藻生物质热化学转化的最新进展，包括热解、水热炭化和焙烧，再加上物理和化学活化过程，以获得高性能的废水处理吸附剂。从离子交换、静电吸引、π-π相互作用、氢键或表面络合等方面系统地讨论了生物质的特性、转化、活化策略和吸附机理。微藻衍生的生物炭一直优于木质纤维素生物炭，对Cd2+的吸附能力高达~480 mg/g，几乎完全去除染料和选定的药物。动力学和等温线分析表明，吸附典型地遵循Langmuir和伪二阶模型，表明单层化学吸附和强烈的表面-污染物相互作用。在循环生物经济背景下，建立了一个将微藻特性、热化学处理和表面功能与合理吸附剂设计联系起来的原料-功能框架。为了帮助实验室规模的研究向工业规模过渡，未来的研究需要关注转化和再生的优化，彻底的技术经济和生命周期分析，以及在真实废水矩阵中进行性能验证，以使实验室规模的研究能够转化为工业规模。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of water process engineering Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Biotechnology

CiteScore

10.70

自引率

8.60%

发文量

846

审稿时长

24 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Water Process Engineering aims to publish refereed, high-quality research papers with significant novelty and impact in all areas of the engineering of water and wastewater processing . Papers on advanced and novel treatment processes and technologies are particularly welcome. The Journal considers papers in areas such as nanotechnology and biotechnology applications in water, novel oxidation and separation processes, membrane processes (except those for desalination) , catalytic processes for the removal of water contaminants, sustainable processes, water reuse and recycling, water use and wastewater minimization, integrated/hybrid technology, process modeling of water treatment and novel treatment processes. Submissions on the subject of adsorbents, including standard measurements of adsorption kinetics and equilibrium will only be considered if there is a genuine case for novelty and contribution, for example highly novel, sustainable adsorbents and their use: papers on activated carbon-type materials derived from natural matter, or surfactant-modified clays and related minerals, would not fulfil this criterion. The Journal particularly welcomes contributions involving environmentally, economically and socially sustainable technology for water treatment, including those which are energy-efficient, with minimal or no chemical consumption, and capable of water recycling and reuse that minimizes the direct disposal of wastewater to the aquatic environment. Papers that describe novel ideas for solving issues related to water quality and availability are also welcome, as are those that show the transfer of techniques from other disciplines. The Journal will consider papers dealing with processes for various water matrices including drinking water (except desalination), domestic, urban and industrial wastewaters, in addition to their residues. It is expected that the journal will be of particular relevance to chemical and process engineers working in the field. The Journal welcomes Full Text papers, Short Communications, State-of-the-Art Reviews and Letters to Editors and Case Studies