Retention of Heavy Metals by Carboxyl Functional Groups of Biochars in Small Arms Range Soil

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2012-02, Vol.60 (7), p.1798-1809
• Main Authors: Uchimiya, Minori, Bannon, Desmond I, Wartelle, Lynda H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acetates; acidity; Adsorption; anions; biochar; Biological and medical sciences; carbon; cation exchange capacity; cations; Charcoal - chemistry; copper; cottonseed; desorption; Firearms; flax; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heavy metals; hulls; leaching; lead; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Oxidants; Oxidation-Reduction; polluted soils; reflectance; Soil - analysis; Soil Pollutants - chemistry; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Solubility; surface area; toxicity; zinc
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf2047898

Long-term effectiveness of biochar for heavy metal stabilization depends upon biochar’s sorptive property and recalcitrance in soil. To understand the role of carboxyl functional groups on heavy metal stabilization, cottonseed hull biochar and flax shive steam-activated biochar having a low O/C ratio (0.04–0.06) and high fixed carbon content (∼80% dry weight basis) were oxidized using concentrated H2SO4/HNO3 and 30% HNO3. Oxidized and unoxidized biochars were characterized for O/C ratio, total acidity, pH, moisture, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon contents, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectral features. Characterized biochars were amended (2%, 5%, 10%, and 20% in grams of biochar per gram of soil) on a sandy, slightly acidic (pH 6.27) heavy metal contaminated small arms range soil fraction (