Biosolid-Derived Biochar for Phosphate (P) Remediation.

As world population increases and the global trend continues towards urbanization, municipal waste production is steadily increasing. Treatment of these wastes for safe disposal yields a nutrient rich organic compound called biosolids. Currently, these solid byproducts of waste treatment are either incinerated, placed in a landfill, or field applied as fertilizer. Limited studies have investigated the use of these biosolids in pyrolysis to create biochar. Pyrolysis, or thermal conversion in the absence of oxygen, creates a carbonaceous compound similar to charcoal. In this study, biosolids pyrolized at different temperatures were investigated for use as a method of remediation for effluent with a high concentration of P, such as agricultural runoff. Elemental characterization and adsorption modelling were used to determine the optimum parameters for creation of a biochar that would achieve maximum P adsorption. Spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate changes in functionality with varying pyrolysis temperatures. Principle component analysis, a multivariate tool, was used to visualize the major and minor differences within the data. Following a Langmuir adsorption model, along with a 2^nd order kinetics model, biochar created at the highest temperatures showed the greatest adsorption properties of P concentration.