sorption separation of eu and as from single-component systems by fe-modified biochar: kinetic and equilibrium study

The utilization of carbonaceous materials in separation processes of radionuclides, heavy metals and metalloids represents a burning issue in environmental and waste management. the main objective of this study was to characterize the effect of chemical modification of corncob-derived biochar by fe-impregnations on sorption efficiency of eu and as as a model compounds of cationic lanthanides and anionic metalloids. the biochar sample produced in slow pyrolysis process at 500 °c before (bc) and after (ibc) impregnation process was characterized by elemental, ftir, sem-edx analysis to confirm the effectiveness of fe-impregnation process. the basic physico-chemical properties showed differences in surface area and ph values of bc- and ibc-derived sorbents. sorption processes of eu and as by bc and ibc were characterized as a time- and initial concentration of sorbate-dependent processes. the sorption equilibrium was reached for both sorbates in 24 h of contact time. batch equilibrium experiments revealed the increased maximum sorption capacities (q max) of ibc for as about more than 20 times (q max bc 0.11 and q max ibc 2.26 mg g−1). our study confirmed negligible effect of fe-impregnation on sorption capacity of biochar for eu (q max bc 0.89 and q max ibc 0.98 mg g−1). the iron-impregnation of biochar-derived sorbents can be utilized as a valuable treatment method to produce stable and more effective sorption materials for various xenobiotics separation from liquid wastes and aqueous solutions.