Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Functionalized Biochars for Enhanced Removal of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions: Mechanism and Future Industrial Prospects

This review examined functionalized biochar materials as adsorbents for removing heavy metals from water, comparing surface modification strategies that enhance metal uptake capacity and selectivity. Functionalized biochars showed substantially improved adsorption performance over unmodified biochar and low-cost conventional materials.

2022 Journal of Human Earth and Future 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent trends and economic significance of modified/functionalized biochars for remediation of environmental pollutants

Researchers reviewed recent advances in modified biochars — charcoal-like materials made from organic waste — as low-cost tools for removing chemical pollutants from contaminated soil and water. By altering biochar's physical and chemical properties through various treatment techniques, scientists have significantly improved its ability to bind and neutralize a wide range of harmful substances.

2024 Scientific Reports 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Lead from Aqueous Solution by Biochar: A Review

This review summarizes research on using biochar, a low-cost carbon material, to adsorb and remove lead from contaminated water. The study covers how different raw materials and modification methods affect biochar's adsorption capacity, along with the main mechanisms by which lead is removed from aqueous solutions.

2022 Clean Technologies 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Pollutants from Wastewater by Biochar: A Review

This review examines how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be used to remove pollutants including microplastics, heavy metals, and organic chemicals from wastewater. Biochar works by adsorbing contaminants onto its surface, and its effectiveness can be improved through chemical modifications. The technology offers a low-cost, sustainable approach to water treatment that could help reduce microplastic contamination in water supplies.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 218 citations
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

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

Trends in the applications of biochar for the abatement of microplastics in water

This review examines how biochar can be used to remove microplastics and nanoplastics from water, summarizing recent advances in biochar modification strategies that improve adsorption capacity and minimize secondary pollution risks.

2025 Bioresource Technology Reports
Article Tier 2

Biochar : A Review of its History, Characteristics, Factors that Influence its Yield, Methods of Production, Application in Wastewater Treatment and Recent Development

This review examines biochar's history, physicochemical properties, production methods, and applications in wastewater treatment, highlighting its high porosity and diverse functional groups that enable effective adsorption of contaminants including heavy metals and organic pollutants.

2021 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar/Biopolymer Composites for Potential In Situ Groundwater Remediation

This review evaluated biochar and biopolymer composite materials for potential in-situ groundwater remediation, assessing their capacity to adsorb contaminants including heavy metals, organic pollutants, and microplastics from subsurface environments.

2024 Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Co-Occurring Microplastics and Metals in an Aqueous System by Pristine and Magnetised Larch Biochar

Researchers tested pristine and modified biochar for simultaneous removal of co-occurring microplastics and heavy metals from water, finding that biochar surface modifications improved adsorption of both contaminant classes, offering a promising dual-removal treatment strategy.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Adsorption Effect of Biochar on Microplastic Pollutants in Soil

This study reviews how biochar can adsorb and remove microplastics from contaminated soil through physical and chemical mechanisms. Researchers found that biochar's high surface area and functional groups are key factors in its microplastic adsorption capacity, and that acidic soil conditions improve removal efficiency. The findings suggest biochar application could be a practical approach for addressing microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.

2025 Science and Technology of Engineering Chemistry and Environmental Protection 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation and characterization of Allium cepa extract coated biochar and adsorption performance for hexavalent chromium

Researchers fabricated Allium cepa extract-coated biochar and evaluated its adsorption performance for removing hexavalent chromium from contaminated water. The modified biochar demonstrated improved uptake of the toxic metal ion compared to uncoated material, with the plant extract coating enhancing surface chemistry and binding capacity.

2023 Scientific Reports 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Biochar as an Amendment for the Removal of Metals, Nutrients, and Microplastics in Bioretention Systems

This study evaluated biochar as an amendment to bioretention soil media for removing metals, nutrients, and microplastics from stormwater runoff. Results showed that biochar improved contaminant removal across all three pollutant classes compared to unamended soil media, supporting its use in green stormwater infrastructure.

2024 Journal of Environmental Engineering 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of heavy metal onto biomass-derived activated carbon: review

This review summarizes how activated carbon made from plant-based materials can be used to remove heavy metals from polluted water. Since microplastics in water often carry and concentrate heavy metals on their surface, improving our ability to filter these combined contaminants is important for protecting drinking water and human health.

2023 RSC Advances 272 citations
Article Tier 2

Pb(II) adsorption by biochar from co-pyrolysis of corn stalks and alkali-fused fly ash

Researchers created a modified biochar — a charcoal-like material made from plant waste — by combining corn stalks with fly ash during heating, and found it absorbed lead from water about 6% more effectively than standard biochar. The added binding sites from the fly ash modification make this a promising low-cost material for removing heavy metal pollution from contaminated water.

2022 Biochar 40 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Optimizing Biochar for Heavy Metal Remediation: A Meta-Analysis of Modification Methods and Pyrolysis Conditions

This meta-analysis of 173 publications found that metal oxide-treated biochars produced at moderate temperatures (400-550 degrees C) from wood feedstocks are the most effective for adsorbing cadmium, lead, and copper from contaminated soil. These biochar optimization strategies are relevant to microplastic research because co-contamination of soils with heavy metals and microplastics is increasingly common.

2025 Environments 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The utilization of biochar alone and in combination with compost for removal of potentially toxic metals accumulated in soils associated with land-use patterns

This review examined how different agricultural land-use patterns -- greenhouse fields, vegetable fields, forest fields, and maize fields -- contribute to heavy metal accumulation in soils, finding that fertilizer and pesticide application are primary drivers, and that biochar application alone or with compost can reduce heavy metal concentrations by 18 to 40% through precipitation, sorption, and ion exchange mechanisms.

2022 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in biochar-mediated mitigation of microplastics: A comprehensive review on removal mechanisms, toxicity alleviation strategies, and synergistic environmental impacts

Researchers comprehensively reviewed recent advances in using biochar to mitigate microplastic pollution, including removal mechanisms, toxicity alleviation strategies, and synergistic environmental impacts. The study found that biochar is a promising candidate for microplastic removal and toxicity reduction due to its high specific surface area and adsorptive properties.

2026 Environmental Pollution
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

Valorization of coconut husk into biochar for lead (Pb 2+ ) adsorption

Researchers produced biochar from coconut husk and tested its effectiveness at adsorbing lead (Pb²⁺) from water, finding it to be a promising low-cost, sustainable material for removing toxic heavy metals from contaminated water sources.

2025 Green Processing and Synthesis
Review Tier 2

Advancing modified biochar for sustainable agriculture: a comprehensive review on characterization, analysis, and soil performance

This review covers how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be modified to improve soil health and crop growth. While not directly about microplastics, modified biochar has been studied as a potential tool for absorbing and immobilizing microplastics in contaminated soil. Understanding how to optimize biochar properties could help develop strategies for reducing microplastic uptake by food crops.

2025 Biochar 42 citations
Article Tier 2

The Removal and Mitigation Effects of Biochar on Microplastics in Water and Soils: Application and Mechanism Analysis

This review examines how biochar can be used to both remove microplastics from water and mitigate their harmful effects in soils. Researchers found that woody biochar was the most effective type for adsorbing microplastics, while also helping to restore soil enzyme activities and microbial communities disrupted by plastic contamination. The study calls for further research into optimizing biochar applications and understanding the long-term environmental implications of biochar-microplastic interactions.

2024 Sustainability 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of micro- and nano-plastics from aqueous matrices using modified biochar – A review of synthesis, applications, interaction, and regeneration

This review examines how modified biochar materials can be used to remove micro- and nanoplastics from water. Researchers found that chemical functionalization and nanoparticle integration of biochar significantly improve its ability to capture plastic particles through mechanisms like electrostatic interaction and physical adsorption. The study also highlights challenges in regenerating used biochar for sustainable reuse in water treatment applications.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Efficient Pb Removal from Aqueous Solutions using Biochar Beads

Researchers developed alginate-biochar bead composites to improve the removal of lead from water compared to powdered biochar alone. The beads were easier to separate from solution and maintained high removal efficiency. This approach could make biochar-based heavy metal remediation more practical for real-world water treatment applications.

2023 Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture 1 citations