Efficient Removal of Paraquat Pollutants Using Magnetic Biochar Derivedfrom Corn Husk Waste: A Sustainable Approach for Water Remediation

• Published in: Adsorption science & technology 2023-01, Vol.2023
• Main Authors: Damdib, Sakonsupa, Siyasukh, Adisak, Vanichsetakul, Bhawaranchat, Phamornpiboon, Phamornsiri, Thanachayanont, Chanchana, Punyapalakul, Patiparn, Tonanon, Nattaporn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Carbonization; Corn; Iron; Paraquat; Sodium hydroxide
• ISSN: 0263-6174; 2048-4038
• DOI: 10.1155/2023/5512881

Due to the widespread production of maize, the waste created by this crop has becomea serious concern. This study applied the concept of waste circulation to theproduction of magnetic biochar from corn husk waste to remediateparaquat-contaminated water. Magnetic biochar (MB) was produced by impregnating maizehusks with iron and carbonizing the residue in a nitrogen environment. Carbonized MBat the temperature of 850°C (MB-01-850) exhibited a combination of microporous andmesoporous structures ( V meso = 0.30   c m 3 / g , V micro = 0.12   c m 3 / g ), while biochar created only a microporous structure ( V micro = 0.11   c m 3 / g ). According to the findings, Fe(NO3)3significantly affected the increase in mesopore formation after carbonization. Inaddition, biochar exhibits excellent magnetic responsiveness. MB-01-850 reachedequilibrium within approximately 20 min in synthetic water. Batch adsorption studiesshowed that MB-01-850 had maximum adsorption capacities ( Q 0 ) of 34.97 mg/g and 31.63 mg/g for synthetic and natural water,respectively. The unmodified biochar (without mesopores) had a Q 0 of 4.08 mg/g. This indicates that the presence of mesoporesimproves the effectiveness of paraquat adsorption. Additionally, the adsorptionperformance of magnetic biochar exhibited no statistically significant variance whentested under natural water conditions. Furthermore, magnetic biochar demonstratesimpressive regeneration capacity, allowing it to be regenerated almost entirely for aminimum of four cycles using a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution with a concentrationequal to or greater than 0.5 M.