Use of commercial biochar for wastewater heavy metal removal in real case scenarios

Biochar has been proven to be a compelling adsorbent for contaminants in water, however little data about performance are available about real case scenarios. Moreover, such data are often related to biochar produced solely for the sake of research, this means biochar would not be readily available for actual commercial applications.

The aim of the project is to employ commercial biochar for water purification in a real case study and test its viability as a pollutant adsorber. The case study employs two biochar identified as end members for commercially available products: one rising from low temperature pyrolysis (550 °C) and the other from pyro-gasification (peak temperature 850 °C). The two materials have been characterized and used for wastewater treatment.

Wastewaters, with a focus on heavy metals, have been provided by the company Leonardo SpA. Industrial plating processes within their facilities make use of very high concentrations of polluting elements, hence needing continuous treatment prior to disposal. Seven different wastewaters bearing varying amounts and types of contaminants have been treated with the two cited biochar.

Testing biochar in real case scenarios provides an assessment of its potential in a high added value application such as water purification and provides the constraints to achieve optimal performance.

Future developments of the project build upon collected data and expertise to identify best practices for the valorization of biochar as a contaminant adsorber.