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Tackling New-generation Pollutants in Soil: How Modified Biochar Redefines Remediation Strategies?
Summary
This study examined how modified biochar can simultaneously adsorb and catalytically degrade multiple emerging contaminants including microplastics, persistent organic pollutants, and antibiotics in soil systems. Effective soil remediation strategies are critical because agricultural microplastic accumulation contaminates crops and soil biota, creating ongoing food-chain exposure routes for humans.
As a new material for remediating emerging contaminants (ECs) such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), antibiotics, and microplastics (MNPs), modified biochar provides two main benefits: carbon storage/emission reduction and soil quality improvement. Nevertheless, bottlenecks for its large-scale application include low regeneration efficiency and unclear competitive adsorption mechanisms in multi-contaminant systems. This study examines the removal of four types of ECs through various biochar modifications. It demonstrates how adsorption-catalysis and microbial activation work in tandem. The study also identifies key influencing factors, including interference from soil organic matter, interfacial electron transfer kinetics, and pH dependence. Bridging laboratory-field efficacy gaps, we propose a three-stage optimisation pathway: (1) developing targeted modifications for complex matrices; (2) establishing in situ regeneration and cross-media risk monitoring systems; (3) advancing research on EC-modified biochar-microbe interactions. Finally, we stress the need to combine methods from environmental chemistry, soil ecology, and materials science. This will help develop affordable technologies and clean ecosystems on a large scale. These efforts provide both theoretical models and technical support for managing ECs.