Celma, Alberto
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Biochar has recently been identified as a potential solution for the remediation of organic micropollutants from contaminated water. Herein, we have assessed the potential mitigation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by means of biochar adsorption as a green alternative to coal-based sorbents for PFAS-polluted stormwater systems. For this purpose, 13 biochar materials (originating from diverse feedstocks as well as intended for both commercial and research purposes) were initially screened for PFAS remediation capabilities in static flow systems. These experiments pointed to biochar sorption as a promising strategy for PFAS remediation, with some materials showing removal efficiencies of around 99% after 7 days of exposure. Though not all of the biochar materials tested performed equally, differences could be observed. As a next step, five biochar materials were studied under constant-flow column experiments for a duration of 69 days using real stormwater spiked with PFAS. Results showed that vast differences could be observed for the retention rates of the tested PFAS contaminants, with estimated bed volumes for an 80% breakthrough ranging from, for example, 13-60 for perfluorobutanesulfonic acid and from 4 to 53 for perfluoropentanoic acid. In terms of the PFAS backbone, both the static and dynamic flow experiments highlighted that long-chain PFAS showed stronger sorption onto the biochar surface than short-chain PFAS; however, no relevant impact could be identified in terms of the PFAS functional group. Overall, biochar is emerging as a promising and environmentally friendly approach for removing PFAS from contaminated stormwater.
Keywords
biochar; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); physico-chemical characterization; remediation; stormwater
Published in
REMEDIATION
2025, volume: 36, number: 1, article number: e70041
Publisher: WILEY
SLU Authors
Skrobonja, Aleksandra
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- University of Belgrade
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Wiberg, Karin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Ahrens, Lutz
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
UKÄ Subject classification
Water Treatment
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/rem.70041
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/144018