Application of biochar as an innovative soil ameliorant in bioretention system for stormwater treatment: A review of performance and its influencing factors

Abstract

Abstract As an emerging environment functional material, biochar has become a research hotspot in environmental fields because of its excellent ecological and environmental benefits. Recently, biochar has been used as an innovative soil ameliorant in bioretention systems (BRS) to effectively enhance pollutant removal efficiency for BRS. This paper summarizes and evaluates the performance and involved mechanisms of biochar amendment in BRS with respect to the removal of nutrients (TN (34–47.55%) and PO43--P (47–99.8%)), heavy metals (25–100%), pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli (30–98%)), and organic contaminants (77.2–100%). For biochar adsorption, the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models are the most suitable kinetic and isothermal adsorption models, respectively. Furthermore, we analyzed and elucidated some factors that influence the pollutant removal performance of biochar-amended BRS, such as the types of biochar, the preparation process and physicochemical properties of biochar, the aging of biochar, the chemical modification of biochar, and the hydraulic loading, inflow concentration and drying–rewetting alternation of biochar-amended BRS. The high potential for recycling spent biochar in BRS as a soil ameliorant is proposed. Collectively, biochar can be used as an improved medium in BRS. This review provides a foundation for biochar selection in biochar-amended BRS. Future research and practical applications of biochar-amended BRS should focus on the long-term stability of treatment performances under field conditions, chemical modification with co-impregnated nanomaterials in biochar surface, and the durability, aging, and possible negative effects of biochar.