Arsenic removal by Japanese oak wood biochar in aqueous solutions and well water: Investigating arsenic fate using integrated spectroscopic and microscopic techniques

Nabeel Khan Niazi, Irshad Bibi, Muhammad Shahid, Yong Sik Ok, Sabry M. Shaheen, Jörg Rinklebe, Hailong Wang, Behzad Murtaza, Ejazul Islam, M. Farrakh Nawaz, Andreas Lüttge

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    201 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In this study, we examined the sorption of arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) to Japanese oak wood-derived biochar (OW-BC) in aqueous solutions, and determined its efficiency to remove As from As-contaminated well water. Results revealed that, among the four sorption isotherm models, Langmuir model showed the best fit to describe As(III) and As(V) sorption on OW-BC, with slightly greater sorption affinity for As(V) compared to As(III) (QL = 3.89 and 3.16 mg g− 1; R2 = 0.91 and 0.85, respectively). Sorption edge experiments indicated that the maximum As removal was 81% and 84% for As(III)- and As(V)-OW-BC systems at pH 7 and 6, respectively, which decreased above these pH values (76–69% and 80–58%). Surface functional groups, notably –OH, –COOH, –C–O, –CH3, were involved in As sequestration by OW-BC, suggesting the surface complexation/precipitation and/or electrostatic interaction of As on OW-BC surface. Arsenic K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy indicated that 36% of the added As(III) was partially oxidized to As(V) in the As(III) sorption experiment, and in As(V) sorption experiment, 48% of As(V) was, albeit incompletely, reduced to As(III) on OW-BC surface. Application of OW-BC to As-contaminated well water (As: 27–144 μg L− 1; n = 10) displayed that 92 to 100% of As was depleted despite in the presence of co-occurring competing anions (e.g., SO42 −, CO32 −, PO43 −). This study shows that OW-BC has a great potential to remove As from solution and drinking (well) water. Overall, the combination of macroscopic sorption data and integrated spectroscopic and microscopic techniques highlight that the fate of As on biochar involves complex redox transformation and association with surface functional moieties in aquatic systems, thereby providing crucial information required for implication of biochar in environmental remediation programs.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1642-1651
    Number of pages10
    JournalScience of the Total Environment
    Volume621
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2018 Apr 15

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    The authors are thankful to the International Foundation for Science (IFS, Sweden; W/5698-1), Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (Project Nos. 6396 and 6425 ) and Grand Challenges Canada – Stars in Global Health ( GCC 0433-01 ) for financial support. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) ( NRF-2015R1A2A2A11001432 ). Biochar samples were produced and fully characterized by the Korea Biochar Research Center (KBRC). Drs Nabeel Khan Niazi and Irshad Bibi are thankful to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and the University of Bremen (Germany), and thanks are extended by Dr. Bibi (Ref 3.5 - PAK - 1164117 - GFHERMES-P) and Professor Shaheen (Ref 3.4 - EGY - 1185373 - GF-E) to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. We are thankful to Ms. Avanthi Deshani Igalavithana (KNU) and Mr. M. Bilal Shakoor (Research Fellow, UAF) for their partial assistance in some laboratory work. The authors thank the members of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Korea for providing synchrotron user facilities for XAFS spectroscopy experimentation. Appendix A

    Funding Information:
    The authors are thankful to the International Foundation for Science (IFS, Sweden; W/5698-1), Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (Project Nos. 6396 and 6425) and Grand Challenges Canada ? Stars in Global Health (GCC 0433-01) for financial support. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (NRF-2015R1A2A2A11001432). Biochar samples were produced and fully characterized by the Korea Biochar Research Center (KBRC). Drs Nabeel Khan Niazi and Irshad Bibi are thankful to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and the University of Bremen (Germany), and thanks are extended by Dr. Bibi (Ref 3.5 - PAK - 1164117 - GFHERMES-P) and Professor Shaheen (Ref 3.4 - EGY - 1185373 - GF-E) to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. We are thankful to Ms. Avanthi Deshani Igalavithana (KNU) and Mr. M. Bilal Shakoor (Research Fellow, UAF) for their partial assistance in some laboratory work. The authors thank the members of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Korea for providing synchrotron user facilities for XAFS spectroscopy experimentation.

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2017 Elsevier B.V.

    Keywords

    • Arsenic contamination
    • Drinking water, FTIR, remediation
    • SEM-EDX
    • Sorbent
    • Toxicity, XANES

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Environmental Engineering
    • Environmental Chemistry
    • Waste Management and Disposal
    • Pollution

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