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Effect of aluminum modification of rice straw–based biochar on arsenate adsorption

  • Biochar and Agricultural Sustainability (SI APBC 2018)
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the adsorption capacity of aluminum-modified biochars for arsenate (As(V)) and the effect of the biochars on As(V) adsorption by acidic Ultisols.

Materials and methods

Rice straw was collected from Yingtan, Jiangxi Province. Rice straw and the biochar derived from rice straw were both treated with aluminum (Al) to prepare two kinds of Al-modified biochars. An Ultisol was collected from Jinxian, Jiangxi Province, and an indoor incubation was used to prepare biochar-ameliorated soil. Zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the effects of Al modification on surface charge and functional groups of the biochars. The batch method was used to investigate the adsorption and desorption of As(V) by the biochars and the soil. Arsenic in equilibrium solution was determined using hydride generation–atomic fluorescence spectrometry.

Results and discussion

The yield of biochar derived from Al-treated rice straw was significantly greater than that of the biochar from untreated rice straw. The Al content of Al-treated biochar from rice straw was higher than that of biochar derived from Al-treated rice straw. Modification did not change the morphology of Al oxide on biochar. Zeta potential of the two modified biochars changed to a positive value compared with that of unmodified biochar, and more change in zeta potential was observed for the Al-treated biochar from rice straw than that of biochar derived from Al-treated rice straw. After As(V) was adsorbed by the two modified biochars, new absorption peaks were found in the FTIR spectra from the biochars at 892 cm−1 (biochar from Al-treated rice straw) and 884 cm−1 (Al-treated biochar from rice straw). The peaks suggested that a chemical bond was formed between As(V) and Al on biochars during As(V) adsorption. The two Al-modified biochars adsorbed much more As(V) than the unmodified biochar. The desorption of adsorbed As(V) in the modified biochars was very low, which indicated that specific adsorption was the dominant mechanism for As(V) adsorption. The addition of modified biochar promoted the adsorption of As(V) by the Ultisol. Moreover, Al-treated biochar from rice straw enhanced As(V) adsorption by the soil more than the biochar derived from Al-treated rice straw.

Conclusions

Compared with the effect of adding unmodified biochar, adding either of the two Al-modified biochars significantly enhanced the adsorption of As(V) by the Ultisol. Therefore, Al-modified biochar can be used to immobilize As(V) in arsenic-contaminated soils, especially in acidic soils.

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Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 41877036).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 821, Nanjing, China

    Xian He, Jun Jiang, Zhineng Hong, Xiaoying Pan, Ying Dong & Renkou Xu

  2. College of Advanced Agricultural Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xian He, Xiaoying Pan & Renkou Xu

Authors
  1. Xian He
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  2. Jun Jiang
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  3. Zhineng Hong
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  4. Xiaoying Pan
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  5. Ying Dong
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  6. Renkou Xu
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Correspondence to Renkou Xu.

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Responsible editor: Kitae Baek

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He, X., Jiang, J., Hong, Z. et al. Effect of aluminum modification of rice straw–based biochar on arsenate adsorption. J Soils Sediments 20, 3073–3082 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02595-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02595-2

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