assessment-waste-derived-biochars-on-health-biological-activity

Assessment of Waste-Derived Biochars on the Health and Biological Activity of Soil

Biochar is the product obtained by heating biomass through pyrolysis at high temperatures and has emerged as a common soil amendment based on its ...

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

The present study describes a pilot remediation test of a co-mingled plume containing BTEX, chlorinated pollutants and pharmaceuticals. Remediation was attempted using a combination of various approaches, including a pump and treat system applying an advanced oxidation process and targeted direct push injections of calcium peroxide. The remediation process was monitored intensively and extensively throughout the pilot test using various conventional and passive sampling methods, including next-generation amplicon sequencing. The results showed that the injection of oxygen-saturated treated water with residual hydrogen peroxide and elevated temperature enhanced the in situ removal of monoaromatics and chlorinated pollutants. In particular, in combination with the injection of calcium peroxide, the conditions facilitated the in situ bacterial biodegradation of the pollutants. The mean groundwater concentration of benzene decreased from 1349μg·L prior to the test to 3μg·L within 3months after the calcium peroxide injections; additionally, monochlorobenzene decreased from 1545μg·L to 36μg·L, and toluene decreased from 143μg·L to 2μg·L. Furthermore, significant degradation of the contaminants bound to the soil matrix in less permeable zones was observed. Based on a developed 3D model, 90% of toluene and 88% of chlorobenzene bound to the soil were removed during the pilot test, and benzene was removed almost completely. On the other hand, the psychopharmaceuticals were effectively removed by the employed advanced oxidation process only from the treated water, and their concentration in groundwater remained stagnant due to inflow from the surroundings and their absence of in situ degradation. The employment of passive sampling techniques, including passive diffusion bags (PDB) for volatile organic pollutants and their respective transformation products, polar organic compound integrative samplers (POCIS) for the pharmaceuticals and in situ soil microcosms for microbial community analysis, was proven to be suitable for monitoring remediation in saturated zones.

Assessment of biodegradation potential at a site contaminated by a mixture of BTEX, chlorinated pollutants and pharmaceuticals using passive sampling methods - Case study.

The presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products in water is increasing tremendously nowadays. Typical representatives are diclofenac (DCF) and triclosan (TCS). Acute toxicity of these substances was experimentally assessed using the freshwater algae  (living, immobilized). The IC achieved for  was 177.7-189.1 mg·L for DCF and 5.4-17.2 µg·L for TCS, whereas, regarding DCF, the results corresponded to the values observed by other authors. Concerning TCS, the results were lower than predicted and indicated TCSs' higher toxicity. The immobilized  showed comparable results with its living culture for DCF only. Regarding KCrO and TCS, the immobilized alga was more sensitive. The DCF and TCF removal from water was tested by sorption, photocatalytic and photolytic processes. TiO was used as a photocatalyst. Norit and SuperSorbon were used as sorbents based on activated charcoal. The DCF decomposition achieved by both photo-processes was very fast. The starting concentration fell below the detection limit in less than one minute, while bioluminescence on  showed no toxic intermediates formed only in the case of photocatalysis. DCF and TCS removals by sorption were significantly faster on Norit than SuperSorbon, while the bioluminescence inhibition remained insignificant.

Toxicity Assessment and Treatment Options of Diclofenac and Triclosan Dissolved in Water.

Composted sewage sludge was investigated as a promising material for the reclamation or remediation of degraded sites. Using sewage sludge as soil amendment provides environmental benefits and risks while supporting circularity and waste minimisation. This study aims to comprehensively assess the suitability of locally available low-cost sludge treatment for sustainable and environmentally safe topsoil disposal in a brownfield area affected by coal mining. A nine-month composting was conducted before field application to the soil environment. The objectives were to assess: (i) composting time-dependent and pH-dependent metal(loid) leachability from composted sludges, (ii) the effect of sludges on metal(loid) leachability from soil over the first six months, and (iii) metal(loid) plant uptake during the first vegetation season as well as the bioaccumulation and translocation factors. The set of standardised leaching experiments confirmed the positive effect of compost maturity, i.e. despite some fluctuations over time, metal(loid) availability from the final composts was very low. Some metals showed unusual pH-dependent behaviour with the highest leachability at pH 8 due to excessive release of dissolved organic matter from the not-yet-stabilised matrix. Ecotoxicity testing confirmed the safety of the final composts for further soil application. The sludge-amended plots displayed similar metal(loid) leaching and pH evolution in time compared to the control biomass-amended plot. However, plant species (Artemisia vulgaris L.) that formed the natural vegetation cover of the experimental plots showed cumulative metal(loid) uptake. Cadmium and zinc were identified as the critical metals possibly related to the applied sludges, yielding high bioaccumulation and translocation factors. Yet, the quality of the compost feedstock, heterogeneity, and background values of the brownfield site need to be considered. Nevertheless, soil respiration indicated no adverse effects on soil health six months after sludge application. Overall, the composted material demonstrated potential suitability for remediation application in the studied area.

Article	Year
Assessment of biodegradation potential at a site contaminated by a mixture of BTEX, chlorinated pollutants and pharmaceuticals using passive sampling methods - Case study. The Science of the total environment\| PubMed ID: 28763941	2017
Toxicity Assessment and Treatment Options of Diclofenac and Triclosan Dissolved in Water. Toxics\| PubMed ID: 36006101	2022
Sustainable use of composted sewage sludge: Metal(loid) leaching behaviour and material suitability for application on degraded soils. The Science of the total environment\| PubMed ID: 38642754	2024

Lenka Wimmerova

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