Green biochar-based adsorbent for radiocesium and Cu, Ni, and Pb removal

Abstract

Thermochemical conversion of garden waste to biochar was carried out to prepare a green adsorbent for the removal of Cs, Cu, Ni, and Pb, which was characterized by XPS, SEM–EDX, and FT-IR analyses. The biocharˊs adsorption capacity was 20.5(Cs), 25.2(Cu), 12.4(Ni), and 45.9(Pb) mg g−1 and demonstrated satisfactory performance for different pH values. The kinetics data evaluation revealed that besides chemisorption, intraparticle diffusion contributes to metal removal. Moreover, the physical and structural properties of biochar play an important role in adsorption. Results indicate the suitability of using GW biochar as an alternative sorbent for both radionuclides and metal extraction.