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Pristine and modified biochar comparison for environmental micro(nano)plastic removal: adsorption dynamics, influencing factors, mechanisms, and regeneration potential
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Stuart Cairns ,
Iain Robertson ,
Peter Holliman
Water Research X, Volume: 31
Swansea University Authors:
Muhammad Junaid , Stuart Cairns , Iain Robertson , Peter Holliman
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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.wroa.2026.100527
Abstract
Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) are plastic particles ranging in size from < 1 µm to 5 mm, posing immense challenges owing to their ubiquitous and polydisperse nature, ecological and human health risks, and environmental remediation challenges. Biochar is a promising tool to remove legacy and emerging...
| Published in: | Water Research X |
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| ISSN: | 2589-9147 |
| Published: |
Elsevier BV
2026
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71684 |
| Abstract: |
Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) are plastic particles ranging in size from < 1 µm to 5 mm, posing immense challenges owing to their ubiquitous and polydisperse nature, ecological and human health risks, and environmental remediation challenges. Biochar is a promising tool to remove legacy and emerging environmental pollutants, including MNPs, from aquatic and terrestrial matrices. This review systematically collates studies on pristine and modified biochar in terms of their potential to remove MNPs from laboratory and environmental samples (freshwater, seawater, wastewater, and soil), factors affecting MNP-biochar interactions, adsorption mechanisms, biochar regeneration methods, and research gaps. Our data analyses showed that the modified biochar (8.25–897.7 m2/g, p = 0.035) exhibited significantly higher surface area than that of pristine biochar (1.30–540.36 m2/g). Similarly, the adsorption capacity of modified biochar (10.92–1723 mg/g, p = 0.030) was significantly higher than that of the pristine biochar (0.56–80.3 mg/g). Pearson correlation analysis showed a significantly positive correlation between surface area and pyrolysis temperature for pristine biochar (r = 0.81, p < 0.05); and adsorption capacity showed a significantly positive correlation with the size of MNPs (r = 0.78, p < 0.05) for modified biochar. Further, properties of MNPs, biochar, and environmental conditions were the major factors affecting the MNP-biochar interface, plastic removal, and biochar regeneration. Removal mechanisms mainly involved pore filling, physical trapping, electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and π-π interactions. Depending on the type of MNPs and biochar, either single or multiple removal mechanisms can be involved in the adsorption of MNPs on biochar. Pyrolysis, ultrasonication, chemical methods, and hydrothermal degradation were mainly used individually or in combination to regenerate biochar with high reuse efficiencies. Lack of field studies; polymer mixture and environmental MNP removal; aging of biochar and MNPs; optimization and sustainable modification and regeneration of biochar; MNP-biochar-specific interaction mechanisms; scale-up applications; and fate of spent MNP-biochar complexes are the major research gaps and future research perspectives. |
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| Keywords: |
Magnetic biochar; Micro(nano)plastics; Adsorption mechanisms; Biochar regeneration; Plastic degradation |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2024–221) |