ABSTRACT
Biochar as an adsorbent has received significant attention due to its advantageous physical and chemical characteristics including cation exchange capacity and porous network. Chemically, biochar mostly contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur. The physicochemical features of biochar depend upon the feedstock used and the temperature of pyrolysis. Potential applications of biochars include their use as an energy source, as an additive in soil amendment and as a sorbent in waste management. However, large-scale studies have been scare and experiments using biochars derived from different sources have been done on a laboratory scale. Usually, the studies have been focused on the removal of one single metal. In natural water bodies, several metals co-exist with other contaminants, creating a competition for the binding site on the biochar surface. Very few reports are available on the remediation of heavy metals from water. Simulated water should be replaced with natural water to ascertain the actual removal ability and functionality of biochar in a particular environment. This can be achieved by using various physicochemical conditions.
