Treatment of Wastewater from Soil Washing with Soluble Humic Substances Using Biochars and Activated Carbon

Mariusz Z. Gusiatin (), Sylwia Pasieczna-Patkowska, Magdaléna Bálintová and Marcin Kuśmierz
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Mariusz Z. Gusiatin: Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Słoneczna St. 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
Sylwia Pasieczna-Patkowska: Department of Chemical Technology, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Maria Curie-Skłodowska 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Magdaléna Bálintová: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Kosice, 04200 Kosice, Slovakia
Marcin Kuśmierz: Analytical Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Maria Curie-Skłodowska 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-31

Abstract: Energy can be obtained by pyrolysis of organic wastes, and the solid residue of pyrolysis (biochar) can be used as an adsorbent for the treatment of various types of wastewater. Although soil washing can effectively remediate metal-contaminated soils, it can generate significant amounts of soil washing wastewater (SWW). This study investigated the effectiveness of using activated carbon and various biochars to treat SWW from the remediation of soil heavily contaminated with cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) with soluble humic substances (SHS) from municipal sewage sludge. Willow biochar (BW), plant biomass biochar (BPB), coconut shell biochar (BCH), and Norit SX2 activated carbon (ACN) were tested at different dosages (12.5–100 g/L) and adsorption times (30–1440 min) for the treatment of SWW. At 100 g/L dosage, biochar removed Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn with 56–83%, 32–41%, 18–42%, 75–83%, and 44–83% efficiency, respectively, while ACN removed them with 87–95% efficiency. Only BW and ACN removed soluble organics with efficiencies of 49% and 94%, respectively, at the highest dosage. Adsorption of metals and soluble organics was mainly controlled by physisorption and chemisorption. Diffusion of metals and soluble organics into the different pore sizes was not the most important rate-limiting step. ACN and BW had better structural properties and treated SWW most effectively. BPB and BCH removed metals but not soluble organics, which could be beneficial for SHS recycling.

Keywords: soil washing; treatment; adsorption; pyrolysis; biochar; heavy metals; humic substances; soluble organics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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