Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Research Progress on the Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water by Activated Persulfate Using Biochar-Loaded Nano Zero-Valent Iron

This review summarizes research on using biochar loaded with nano zero-valent iron to activate persulfate for degrading organic pollutants in water. Researchers found that combining biochar's adsorption capacity with the catalytic activity of nano zero-valent iron produces a synergistic effect that enhances pollutant removal. The study highlights this approach as a promising technology for water treatment and environmental remediation.

2024 Molecules 14 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Application of Biochar in the Removal of Pharmaceutical Pollutants through Adsorption and Persulfate-Based AOPs

This review examined the application of biochar for removing pharmaceutical pollutants from water through adsorption and persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes, highlighting biochar's strong adsorption capacity, low cost, and effectiveness as a catalyst for activating persulfate.

2022 Sustainability 143 citations
Article Tier 2

Persulfate Activation Using Biochar from Pomegranate Peel for the Degradation of Antihypertensive Losartan in Water: The Effects of Pyrolysis Temperature, Operational Parameters, and a Continuous Flow Reactor

Researchers synthesized biochar from pomegranate peel at different temperatures and tested its ability to activate persulfate for degrading the blood pressure medication losartan in water. The biochar produced at the highest temperature showed the greatest catalytic activity due to its larger surface area. The study demonstrates an approach for breaking down pharmaceutical contaminants in water, addressing a class of emerging pollutants that often co-occurs with microplastics in aquatic environments.

2024 Catalysts 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance and Mechanism of Fe3O4 Loaded Biochar Activating Persulfate to Degrade Acid Orange 7

Researchers developed an iron oxide-loaded biochar material that can activate persulfate to break down acid orange 7, a common industrial azo dye pollutant, in water. The modified biochar achieved high degradation rates through a combination of adsorption and advanced oxidation processes. The study demonstrates a potential low-cost approach for treating dye-contaminated wastewater using engineered biochar materials.

2023 Water 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective degradation of synthetic micropollutants and real textile wastewater via a visible light-activated persulfate system using novel spinach leaf-derived biochar

Researchers created a novel biochar from spinach leaves and used it to activate persulfate for degrading methylene blue dye under visible light conditions. The system achieved over 83% degradation efficiency and showed promise for treating real textile wastewater, demonstrating a sustainable approach to removing organic pollutants from contaminated water.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar-facilitated remediation of nanoplastic contaminated water: Effect of pyrolysis temperature induced surface modifications

Researchers synthesized sugarcane bagasse biochar at three pyrolysis temperatures and found that biochar produced at 750°C removed over 99% of nanoplastics from water within 5 minutes, with monolayer sorption kinetics and a capacity of 44.9 mg/g, offering a rapid and efficient agricultural-waste-derived remediation approach.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 227 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Bisphenol A on Peanut Shell Biochars: The Effects of Surfactants

This study investigated how surfactants affect the ability of biochar to remove bisphenol A (BPA) from water, finding that different surfactant types either enhance or reduce adsorption depending on biochar pyrolysis temperature. BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that leaches from plastic, so efficient water treatment methods are important for protecting human health.

2019 Journal of Chemistry 61 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Degradation of Water Pollutants by Biochar Combined with Advanced Oxidation: A Systematic Review

This systematic review found that biochar combined with advanced oxidation processes is an effective and environmentally friendly approach for degrading organic pollutants in water. The catalytic activity depends on biochar's functional groups, metal components, and preparation methods, making this technology relevant for breaking down emerging contaminants including microplastics in aquatic environments.

2024 Water 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into catalytic removal and separation of attached metals from natural-aged microplastics by magnetic biochar activating oxidation process

A magnetic biochar material activated persulfate to degrade the organic layer on aged microplastics, releasing bound metals like lead and then re-adsorbing them from solution for magnetic separation. The approach demonstrates a combined oxidation and adsorption strategy for removing hazardous metals associated with microplastics in contaminated water.

2020 Water Research 205 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in biochar technology for aquatic pollution control: a critical review of applications, barriers, and future opportunities

Researchers reviewed two decades of research on biochar — a charcoal-like material made from organic waste — as a low-cost tool for removing pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, microplastics, and nutrients from water, achieving up to 80% pollutant removal. While promising, challenges in regeneration and scaling up production remain barriers to widespread use.

2025 Discover Sustainability 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent progress in the production and application of biochar and its composite in environmental biodegradation

Researchers reviewed advances in biochar production from biomass and waste via pyrolysis, summarizing its applications in environmental remediation — particularly wastewater treatment — and identifying key knowledge gaps in degradation kinetics needed to optimize biochar's performance for pollutant removal.

2023 Bioresource Technology 42 citations
Review Tier 2

Environmental behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and the potential role of biochar for its remediation: a review

This review summarizes how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be used to clean up PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the persistent "forever chemicals" found widely in the environment. Since microplastics can carry and transport PFAS through water systems, understanding how to remove PFAS is an important piece of the broader pollution picture.

2025 Biochar 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging contaminants in polluted waters: Harnessing Biochar's potential for effective treatment

This review explores how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be used to remove a wide range of pollutants from contaminated water, including microplastics, heavy metals, antibiotics, and PFAS. Biochar works through multiple mechanisms like adsorption, electrostatic interactions, and chemical bonding, and can be enhanced through surface modifications. The study highlights biochar as a low-cost, adaptable tool for addressing emerging water contaminants.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Sludge-derived biochar: A review on the influence of synthesis conditions on environmental risk reduction and removal mechanism of wastewater pollutants

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews methods for preparing biochar from sewage sludge and its use in removing heavy metals and organic pollutants from wastewater.

2023 Archives of Environmental Protection 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental and Economic Evaluation of Biochar Application in Wastewater and Sludge Treatment

This chapter reviews how biochar — a carbon-rich material made from organic waste — can remove microplastics, heavy metals, and organic pollutants from wastewater and sludge. Biochar is presented as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly treatment option compared to conventional technologies.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrating biochar characterization, hyperspectral signatures, and artificial neural networks for predictive modeling of metamitron leachate attenuation

Scientists tested whether adding biochar (a charcoal-like material made from plant waste) to soil can reduce contamination from metamitron, a common pesticide that can leak into groundwater and harm human health. They found that biochar made from fruit shells worked best, reducing pesticide levels by over 90% when added to soil at higher amounts. This research could help farmers and communities use biochar as a natural way to protect drinking water from pesticide contamination.

2026 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Removal of benzotriazole derivatives by biochar: Potential environmental applications

Researchers tested two types of biochar made from fruit tree kernels for their ability to remove benzotriazole compounds, which are common industrial wastewater pollutants. They achieved high removal efficiencies of up to 526 milligrams per gram, even in real wastewater samples. The study suggests that biochar from agricultural waste could serve as an effective and sustainable tool for treating contaminated water.

2023 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Pyraclostrobin in Water by Bamboo-Derived and Pecan Shell-Derived Biochars

This paper is not about microplastics — it studies how biochar derived from bamboo and pecan shells can adsorb the fungicide pyraclostrobin from water, addressing agricultural chemical pollution rather than microplastics.

2023 Sustainability 12 citations
Article Tier 2

The Use of Biochar for Removal of Emerging Contaminants in Contaminated Water

This literature review examined 15 studies on biochar for removing emerging contaminants from water and effluents, finding that biochar made from waste raw materials is a low-cost, efficient, and scalable adsorbent for various pollutants. The review is relevant to microplastic research as biochar has potential as a treatment material for water contaminated with emerging contaminants co-occurring with microplastics.

2023 Journal of Interdisciplinary Debates
Article Tier 2

Biochar for the Removal of Emerging Pollutants from Aquatic Systems: A Review

This review examines the use of biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from biomass, for removing emerging pollutants from water systems. Researchers analyzed how different biochar types and pollutant characteristics affect removal efficiency, along with the underlying adsorption mechanisms. The study highlights biochar as a promising and cost-effective tool for water remediation while noting the need for further research on potential risks of its use.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimization of Micro-Pollutants’ Removal from Wastewater Using Agricultural Waste-Derived Sustainable Adsorbent

Agricultural waste-derived biochar adsorbent was optimized for removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from industrial wastewater, with the study presenting the first use of this specific waste-derived material to address PAH contamination in water.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Scottish softwood biochar for water remediation targeting selected persistent organic pollutants

Scottish softwood biochar with high surface area (588 m2/g) and a mix of microporous and mesoporous structure was evaluated as a renewable adsorbent for persistent organic pollutants in water. The biochar achieved rapid adsorption kinetics for 3,4-dichloroaniline and showed potential for removing multiple classes of persistent contaminants from water.

2024 Adsorption Science & Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of biochar on soil microbial community, dissipation and uptake of chlorpyrifos and atrazine

Researchers tested biochar — a charcoal-like material made from mint-distilling waste — as a soil amendment to reduce contamination from two common pesticides, chlorpyrifos and atrazine, finding it significantly sped up pesticide breakdown and reduced uptake into plant tissues. The biochar also boosted populations of beneficial soil bacteria that help degrade these chemicals, suggesting it could be a practical tool for cleaning up pesticide-contaminated farmland.

2024 Biochar 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Clean water production from plastic and heavy metal contaminated waters using redox-sensitive iron nanoparticle-loaded biochar

Researchers developed a biochar material loaded with iron nanoparticles that can simultaneously remove nanoplastics and heavy metal ions from contaminated water. The material achieved over 90 percent removal across a range of water conditions and worked effectively in both batch and continuous-flow tests. The study presents a practical, low-cost approach for cleaning up water polluted with both plastic particles and toxic metals.

2023 Environmental Research 22 citations