Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effect of Fe3+ on the nutrient removal performance and microbial community in a biofilm system

Researchers examined how iron (Fe3+) affects nutrient removal performance and microbial community structure in a wastewater treatment system, finding that iron addition altered both nitrogen/phosphorus removal efficiency and the composition of the microbial community. The results have implications for optimizing iron dosing in treatment processes.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineered biochar combined clay for microplastic biodegradation during pig manure composting

Researchers used walnut shell biochar combined with montmorillonite clay in pig manure composting and found the amendments accelerated biodegradation of microplastics and altered bacterial community succession. Optimal biochar concentration was 5 percent, achieving the best balance of composting performance and plastic degradation.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of Fe-based nanomaterial catalyst on humic substances formation and microplastics mitigation during sewage sludge composting

Researchers developed a novel iron-based nanomaterial catalyst and applied it during sewage sludge composting to enhance the formation of beneficial humic substances while reducing microplastic contamination. The catalyst significantly increased humic acid content and accelerated the breakdown of microplastics in the compost. The findings suggest that iron-based nanomaterials could serve a dual purpose in improving compost quality while helping address microplastic pollution in organic waste.

2024 Bioresource Technology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Speciation and transformation of nitrogen for swine manure thermochemical liquefaction

Researchers tracked how nitrogen — a key nutrient element — transforms when swine manure is processed into bio-oil and biochar (a carbon-rich solid) using heat and pressure in a process called thermochemical liquefaction. They found that most nitrogen ends up locked in biochar at low temperatures, but higher heat drives more nitrogen into the liquid bio-oil fraction as it breaks down proteins and forms stable ring-shaped chemical compounds.

2022 Scientific Reports 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar to Enhance Environmental Remediation in Composting

This review examines the application of biochar to composting and vermicomposting processes, highlighting how its porous structure and large surface area improve aeration, gas diffusion, and the passivation of heavy metals. The chapter also details biochar's role in enhancing degradation of organic pollutants including antibiotics, PAHs, heavy oils, microplastics, and organophosphate esters within compost systems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Retrieval of carbon and inorganic phosphorus during hydrothermal carbonization: ANN and RSM modeling

Researchers studied the recovery of carbon and inorganic phosphorus during hydrothermal carbonization of biomass feedstocks, optimizing conditions to maximize nutrient and carbon retention in the resulting hydrochar. Recovered hydrochar was proposed as a soil amendment combining carbon sequestration with phosphorus recycling.

2024 Heliyon 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Stability and interaction of biochar and iron  mineral nanoparticles: effect of pH, ionic strength, and dissolved organic matter

Researchers investigated how biochar nanoparticles (tiny carbon-rich particles used in soil cleanup) interact with iron mineral nanoparticles under different environmental conditions, finding that acidity, salt concentration, and dissolved organic matter all affect whether the particles clump together and settle out. Understanding these interactions is important for designing effective soil remediation treatments using these combined nanoparticles.

2022 Biochar 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Simultaneous Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal Performance of the AGS-SBR Reactor Based on the Effects of the C/N Ratio and Microbial Community Change

Researchers enhanced simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal in an aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactor (AGS-SBR) by optimizing the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and tracking associated microbial community changes, demonstrating improved treatment performance over conventional methods.

2023 Sustainability 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances on iron bound phosphorus in wetland sediments: characteristics, influencing factors, interactions with organic matter and emerging contaminants

This review synthesizes global data on iron-bound phosphorus in wetland sediments, examining how redox-driven dissolution cycles control phosphorus bioavailability and how emerging contaminants like microplastics interact with iron-phosphorus dynamics in these ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Fe-modified biochar-driven ROS generation in the rhizosphere and their role in microplastic transformation

Researchers found that iron-modified biochar generates reactive oxygen species in paddy soil rhizospheres, and that these ROS interact with microplastic contamination to influence soil biogeochemical cycling in ways that differ from unmodified biochar.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar and straw amendments drive microbial regulation of phosphorus dynamics in saline-irrigated cotton fields

Researchers conducted a 14-year field trial to assess how biochar and straw amendments affect soil microbial communities and phosphorus availability under long-term saline water irrigation in cotton fields. Both amendments significantly shifted microbial community structure and improved phosphorus transformation gene activity compared to saline irrigation alone, with implications for maintaining soil fertility in arid agricultural systems.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiomes 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect mechanism of polyethylene nanoplastics on biological phosphorus removal and microbial extracellular polymers

Researchers found that polyethylene nanoplastics (PE-NPs) at 0-20 mg/L concentrations reduced biological phosphorus removal efficiency from 96.16% to 83.97% in wastewater treatment systems. Mechanistic analysis revealed that PE-NPs induced oxidative stress, altered extracellular polymeric substance composition, and caused a microbial community shift from phosphorus-accumulating organisms to glycogen-accumulating organisms, decoupling carbon-phosphorus metabolism.

2025 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A
Article Tier 2

Effects of biochar carried microbial agent on compost quality, greenhouse gas emission and bacterial community during sheep manure composting

Researchers found that combining biochar (a carbon-rich soil amendment) with beneficial microbes as a composting additive significantly improved compost quality while cutting methane, nitrous oxide, and ammonia emissions by 65%, 69%, and 42%, respectively, during sheep manure composting. The approach offers a practical way to make agricultural waste management both more productive and lower-emission.

2023 Biochar 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the abundance of two particle size ranges of polyethylene microplastics in pig manure under integrated black soldier fly and biochar-amended composting treatments

Researchers combined black soldier fly larval bioconversion with biochar co-composting to control polyethylene microplastics in pig manure, finding that smaller MPs (150 μm) accumulated in larval guts while larger MPs (300 μm) concentrated in larval residue, with biochar particle size influencing subsequent MP oxidation during composting.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar-Based Phosphorus Recovery from Different Waste Streams: Sources, Mechanisms, and Performance

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it reviews biochar-based methods for recovering phosphorus from wastewater and waste streams, focusing on nutrient cycling and eutrophication prevention rather than microplastic contamination.

2023 Sustainability 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic effects of Fe0 on simultaneously eliminating excessive acidification and upgrading biogas in mesophilic or thermophilic anaerobic reactor

Researchers found that adding zero-valent iron (Fe0) powder to anaerobic digesters processing food waste prevented the acid buildup that often derails the process, while also boosting methane content above 80% — but the microbial communities and metabolic pathways responsible differed entirely between reactors run at normal versus elevated temperatures. The findings offer practical guidance for designing more stable waste-to-energy systems.

2023 Journal of Cleaner Production 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction between Biochar and Algae on Problem Soil

Researchers conducted an in-vitro experiment assessing interactions between different biochars and algae in problem soils, finding that tannery waste biochar adsorbed 147% more phosphorus than chicken litter biochar and 35% more than orange peel biochar. Addition of algal inoculation significantly reduced phosphorus adsorption across all biochar types, suggesting algae improve phosphorus availability in problematic agricultural soils.

2024 Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Succession of biochar addition for soil amendment and contaminants remediation during co-composting: A state of art review

Researchers reviewed how adding biochar during composting improves soil health and reduces contaminants, finding that co-composting with biochar can remediate heavy metals by 66–95% and also adsorb emerging organic pollutants like microplastics and pesticides, though some changes to soil microbial communities may inadvertently favor pathogens.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Acid leaching of hydrothermally carbonized sewage sludge: phosphorus recovery and hydrochar characteristics

Researchers investigated acid leaching of hydrochar produced by hydrothermal carbonisation of sewage sludge to recover phosphorus, comparing formic, sulfuric, and acetic acids at varying concentrations and pH levels. Response surface modelling showed that a small fraction of sulfuric acid was sufficient to maintain low pH for phosphorus mobilisation, with carbonisation temperature, acid type, and contact time all influencing total phosphorus recovery and hydrochar fuel characteristics.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of microorganisms and environmentally persistent free radicals in biochar/PMS degradation of antibiotics after the aging process of fermentation

Researchers studied how microbial aging of biochar via anaerobic fermentation affects the degradation of antibiotics using biochar/peroxymonosulfate systems, finding that microplastic-aged biochar altered the formation of persistent free radicals and reduced antibiotic removal efficiency.

2025 Environmental Technology
Article Tier 2

Driving synergistic Fe-N-Plastic co-metabolism and functional microbial symbiosis via nZVI@RA for enhanced decontamination in constructed wetlands

Researchers developed a recycled aggregate-supported nano-zero valent iron material (nZVI@RA) and demonstrated that it profoundly reshapes microbial communities in constructed wetlands to enhance synergistic iron, nitrogen, and nanoplastic co-metabolism, improving simultaneous decontamination performance.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
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

The fate and mobility of chromium, arsenic and zinc in municipal sewage sludge during the co-pyrolysis process with organic and inorganic chlorides

Researchers co-processed sewage sludge with PVC plastic and iron chloride at different temperatures to study how these additives stabilize toxic heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, zinc) in the resulting biochar. PVC at 600°C was most effective at reducing arsenic and zinc hazards, while iron chloride better stabilized chromium, offering tailored strategies for safer sludge disposal.

2025 Scientific Reports 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Cr(VI)-Contaminated Soil by Nano-Zero-Valent Iron in Combination with Biochar or Humic Acid and the Consequences for Plant Performance

Researchers tested nano-scale zero-valent iron combined with biochar or humic acid to remediate chromium(VI)-contaminated soil, finding that combinations outperformed bare nano-iron alone and that biochar amendments improved plant growth and reduced chromium uptake.

2020 Toxics 60 citations