Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2026.107100
Lizenz creative commons licence
Titel (primär) Removal of arsenic using Fe-modified biochar and Carbo-Iron® materials
Autor Feng, M.; Richards, L.A.; Schierz, A.; Mackenzie, K. ORCID logo ; Byrne, J.M.; Polya, D.A.; Lloyd, J.R.
Quelle Applied Geochemistry
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
Department TECH
Band/Volume 211
Seite von art. 107100
Sprache englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Supplements Supplement 1
Keywords Fe-modified biochar; Carbo-Iron; Arsenic; Adsorption; Long-term remediation
Abstract

Arsenic (As) mobilization in aquifers poses potential threats to global human health and ecosystems. The adsorption performance and stability of pristine biochar, Fe-modified biochars, and Carbo-Iron for As removal from water were evaluated to investigate feasibility for potential remediation applications. The Fe-modified biochars included ferrihydrite-containing biochar (FH + BC; 155 mg/g Fe) and magnetite-containing biochar (M + BC; 86 mg/g Fe). SEM and XRD indicated aggregated Fe phases in FH + BC and partially crystallized Fe with readily soluble Fe in M + BC. Adsorption over 24 h (initial As 100 μg/L, dosage 5 g/L) showed that all Fe-containing materials achieved substantially higher As(V) removal than pristine biochar. The pH dependence was biochar-specific: FH + BC favoured As adsorption under acidic conditions, M + BC displayed largely pH-dependent adsorption, and Carbo-Iron demonstrated consistently high adsorption with limited sensitivity to equilibrium pH range of 3.5 – 7.4. Under circumneutral conditions, the three materials showed broadly comparable performance, while Carbo-Iron demonstrated a significantly higher adsorption than M + BC, consistent with Carbo-Iron > M + BC in adsorption isotherm modelling. Performance of adsorption extended over six months (initial As 100 μg/L, initial pH 5.0 – 8.0) showed marked differences in long-term As retention. Pristine biochar supported negligible As(V) removal, while FH + BC exhibited declining performance with aqueous As(III/V) exceeding 30 μg/L. In contrast, both M + BC and Carbo-Iron maintained aqueous As(V) and As(III) concentrations below 1.4 μg/L after 27 days, with Carbo-Iron achieving this level within 24 h. These findings highlight the role of biochar- or activated carbon-supported Fe phases in remediating As and identify M + BC and Carbo-Iron as potentially effective materials for mitigating low As contaminated waters over timescales of up to six months.

Feng, M., Richards, L.A., Schierz, A., Mackenzie, K., Byrne, J.M., Polya, D.A., Lloyd, J.R. (2026):
Removal of arsenic using Fe-modified biochar and Carbo-Iron® materials
Appl. Geochem. 211 , art. 107100
10.1016/j.apgeochem.2026.107100