Rapid and Effective Lead Elimination Using Cow Manure Derived Biochar: Balance between Inherent Phosphorus Release and Pollutants Immobilization

Abstract

Cow manure derived biochar (CMBC) can serve as a promising functional material, and CMBC can be regarded as an ecofriendly approach compared to conventional ones. CM bioadsorbent can be employed for heavy metal immobilization (such as for lead) as well as an amendment to increase soil fertility (e.g., phosphorus). Few studies have examined the surface interactions between pollutants and bioadsorbents when inherent nutrient release is present. In this work, CMBC was prepared and applied for Pb(II) removal, and the vital roles of released phosphorus from CMBC were comprehensively disclosed. Furthermore, CMBC could immobilize part of the Pb(II) in soil and promote plant growth. CM400 was an effective adsorbent whose calculated Qe reached 691.34 mg·g−1, and it rapidly adsorbed 98.36 mg·g−1 of Pb(II) within 1 min. The adsorption mechanisms of Pb(II) by CMBC include ion exchange, physical adsorption, electrostatic attraction, chemical precipitation, surface complexation, and cation–π bond interaction. Based on the residual phosphorus content and adsorption effect, complexation rather than the chemical precipitation had a greater contribution toward adsorption. Besides, as the concentration of Pb(II) increased, the main adsorption mechanisms likely transformed from chemical precipitation to ion exchange and complexation. CMBC not only had a good effect on Pb(II) removal in the solution, but also immobilized the Pb(II) in soil to restrain plant uptake as well as promote plant growth. The main novelty of this work is providing more insights to the cow manure bio adsorbent on Pb immobilization and phosphorus release. This study is expected to serve as a basis and reference for analyzing the release effects of inherent nutrients and the interfacial behaviors with heavy metals when using CMBC and other nutrient–rich carbon–based fertilizers for pollution control.