Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review

The growing global concern over water pollution has urgently demanded cost-effective and highly efficient methods and materials for removing pollutants. Biochar is a promising material for use as an adsorbent due to its abundance, low cost, porous surface, and alterable surface functional group. Thi...

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Main Authors: Foong, Shin Ying, Chin, Bridgid Lai Fui, Lock, Serene Sow Mun, Yiin, Chung Loong, Tan, Yie Hua, Zheng, Guiyang, Ge, Shengbo, Liew, Rock Keey, Lam, Su Shiung
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier 2024
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/95925
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author Foong, Shin Ying
Chin, Bridgid Lai Fui
Lock, Serene Sow Mun
Yiin, Chung Loong
Tan, Yie Hua
Zheng, Guiyang
Ge, Shengbo
Liew, Rock Keey
Lam, Su Shiung
author_facet Foong, Shin Ying
Chin, Bridgid Lai Fui
Lock, Serene Sow Mun
Yiin, Chung Loong
Tan, Yie Hua
Zheng, Guiyang
Ge, Shengbo
Liew, Rock Keey
Lam, Su Shiung
author_sort Foong, Shin Ying
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The growing global concern over water pollution has urgently demanded cost-effective and highly efficient methods and materials for removing pollutants. Biochar is a promising material for use as an adsorbent due to its abundance, low cost, porous surface, and alterable surface functional group. This review provides a detailed insight into the current state-of-art of biochar production from microwave-assisted pyrolysis, activation approaches to improve the physicochemical properties of biochar, and the applications of biochar in various pollutants from wastewater, including heavy metals, dyes, antibiotics and nutrients from aquaculture. Pyrolysis is a promising method for producing biochar, but the drawbacks of conventional pyrolysis are slow processing and low energy efficiency. Microwave-assisted pyrolysis has undergone extensive study due to its distinctive heating mechanism, which facilitates rapid feedstock heating, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and yielding pyrolytic products of improved quality and quantity. The biochar produced has a high surface area (up to 1500 m2/g) and exhibits different functional groups that are effective for pollutant adsorption from wastewater. Methods for activating biochar based on physical activation with assistance from microwave heating can offer a cost-effective and straightforward approach to producing engineered biochar for large-scale wastewater treatment. Conversely, chemical activation can provide specific surface functional groups tailored to meet requirements for removing pollutants. However, further research is necessary to optimize the production of engineered biochar, enhance its adsorption properties, and develop efficient regeneration techniques for its widespread application in large-scale wastewater treatment systems.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-14T11:45:08Z
publishDate 2024
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-959252024-11-04T05:55:33Z Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review Foong, Shin Ying Chin, Bridgid Lai Fui Lock, Serene Sow Mun Yiin, Chung Loong Tan, Yie Hua Zheng, Guiyang Ge, Shengbo Liew, Rock Keey Lam, Su Shiung The growing global concern over water pollution has urgently demanded cost-effective and highly efficient methods and materials for removing pollutants. Biochar is a promising material for use as an adsorbent due to its abundance, low cost, porous surface, and alterable surface functional group. This review provides a detailed insight into the current state-of-art of biochar production from microwave-assisted pyrolysis, activation approaches to improve the physicochemical properties of biochar, and the applications of biochar in various pollutants from wastewater, including heavy metals, dyes, antibiotics and nutrients from aquaculture. Pyrolysis is a promising method for producing biochar, but the drawbacks of conventional pyrolysis are slow processing and low energy efficiency. Microwave-assisted pyrolysis has undergone extensive study due to its distinctive heating mechanism, which facilitates rapid feedstock heating, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and yielding pyrolytic products of improved quality and quantity. The biochar produced has a high surface area (up to 1500 m2/g) and exhibits different functional groups that are effective for pollutant adsorption from wastewater. Methods for activating biochar based on physical activation with assistance from microwave heating can offer a cost-effective and straightforward approach to producing engineered biochar for large-scale wastewater treatment. Conversely, chemical activation can provide specific surface functional groups tailored to meet requirements for removing pollutants. However, further research is necessary to optimize the production of engineered biochar, enhance its adsorption properties, and develop efficient regeneration techniques for its widespread application in large-scale wastewater treatment systems. 2024 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/95925 10.1016/j.eti.2024.103835 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Elsevier fulltext
spellingShingle Foong, Shin Ying
Chin, Bridgid Lai Fui
Lock, Serene Sow Mun
Yiin, Chung Loong
Tan, Yie Hua
Zheng, Guiyang
Ge, Shengbo
Liew, Rock Keey
Lam, Su Shiung
Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review
title Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review
title_full Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review
title_fullStr Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review
title_short Enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - A comprehensive review
title_sort enhancing wastewater treatment with engineered biochar from microwave-assisted approach - a comprehensive review
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/95925