Effects of activation time and temperature on the performance of uniform-sized biochar for microplastic adsorption from wastewater

IF 3.4 4区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Pub Date : 2026-05-05 DOI:10.1007/s13762-026-07256-4

M. Dizbay-Onat, N. A. Anuwa-Amarh, J. Song, K. Venkiteshwaran, W. Winkler, S. Wu

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Abstract

This study investigates the efficacy of biochar derived from Southern Yellow Pine for the removal of polystyrene (PS) microplastics (0.2 µm) from aqueous solutions. Raw biochar was produced via carbonization and subsequently activated using CO₂ at temperatures ranging from 550 to 850°C for activation times of 1–4 h, and was sieved into uniform-sized adsorbents between 300 and 425 μm. The effects of these activation parameters on the biochar's physicochemical properties and microplastic adsorption performance were systematically evaluated. Surface characterization through N₂ adsorption, ultimate and proximate analyses, and FTIR revealed that activation significantly enhanced the specific surface area and porosity. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area increased from 235.6 m²/g for raw biochar to a maximum of 600.2 m²/g for biochar activated at 850°C for 1h. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated a strong correlation between surface area and adsorption capacity. The biochar activated at 850°C exhibited the highest microplastic removal efficiency of 99%, significantly outperforming the raw biochar and samples activated at lower temperatures. These findings highlight that thermal activation is a critical step for enhancing biochar’s properties and that tuning activation parameters, particularly temperature, is key to optimizing its performance for microplastic remediation in wastewater.

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活化时间和温度对均匀粒径生物炭吸附废水微塑料性能的影响

本研究考察了来自南黄松的生物炭去除水溶液中聚苯乙烯（PS）微塑料（0.2µm）的效果。原料生物炭通过炭化制备，然后在550 ~ 850℃的温度下用CO2活化1 ~ 4 h，筛选成300 ~ 425 μm大小均匀的吸附剂。系统评价了各活化参数对生物炭理化性能和微塑料吸附性能的影响。通过N2吸附、终极分析和近似分析以及FTIR对其表面进行表征，发现活化显著提高了比表面积和孔隙度。在850℃活化1h后，生物炭的BET比表面积从235.6 m2/g增加到600.2 m2/g。批量吸附实验表明，吸附面积与吸附量之间存在很强的相关性。850℃活化的生物炭去除微塑料的效率最高，达到99%，明显优于低温活化的生物炭和样品。这些研究结果表明，热活化是提高生物炭性能的关键步骤，而调节活化参数，特别是温度，是优化其对废水中微塑料修复性能的关键。

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

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

6.50%

发文量

806

审稿时长

10.8 months

期刊介绍： International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology (IJEST) is an international scholarly refereed research journal which aims to promote the theory and practice of environmental science and technology, innovation, engineering and management. A broad outline of the journal''s scope includes: peer reviewed original research articles, case and technical reports, reviews and analyses papers, short communications and notes to the editor, in interdisciplinary information on the practice and status of research in environmental science and technology, both natural and man made. The main aspects of research areas include, but are not exclusive to; environmental chemistry and biology, environments pollution control and abatement technology, transport and fate of pollutants in the environment, concentrations and dispersion of wastes in air, water, and soil, point and non-point sources pollution, heavy metals and organic compounds in the environment, atmospheric pollutants and trace gases, solid and hazardous waste management; soil biodegradation and bioremediation of contaminated sites; environmental impact assessment, industrial ecology, ecological and human risk assessment; improved energy management and auditing efficiency and environmental standards and criteria.