Role of Biochar in Wastewater Treatment and Management

Biochar is referred to as a suitable, economical, and sustainable material for use in wastewater treatment. Biochar has been utilized as an adsorbent to eliminate nutrients, organic pollutants, and hazardous inorganic pollutants from polluted water. The high effectiveness of biochar is mainly due to its favourable physico-chemical characteristics like larger surface area, high porosity, and rich surface functionality. Various plant- and agricultural waste-based biomass has been successfully valorized into biochar. Different pre-treatments and fabrication conditions employed have shown significant effects on the surface and morphological characteristics and, hence, on the performance of biochar. Engineered or modified biochar has demonstrated better material features and stronger adsorptivity, thereby representing a new class of advanced adsorbent with tremendous application prospects. The chapter focuses on emphasizing the fabrication/pre-treatment technologies employed for biochar production and addressing its application in the removal of various pollutants and in the treatment of differently sourced wastewater. Research direction on the fabrication of engineered or modified biochar and its application as an adsorbent is discussed.