ABSTRACT
The release of toxic industrial effluents causes contamination of soil by mixing heavy metals into it. The heavy metals are prone to enter the food chain. The heavy metals present in trace amounts in the environment may accumulate in the soil, causing a great concern as they are lethal and carcinogenic, demonstrate mutagenic effects, and may lead to dysfunction of various organs in living organisms. Although a few heavy metals, including Cr, Zn, Bo, Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, and Ni, are required in trace amounts for various biochemical functions of flora and fauna, with the global population burst, industries have increased tremendously, releasing huge toxic wastes leading to deposition of heavy metals into the soil. This contaminated soil may lead to several physiochemical and biochemical changes hampering the reduction in plant growth and yield. This may effectively result in food insecurity globally. Henceforth, soil remediation becomes an essential step to remove the heavy metals from the soil. Biochar has emerged as a novel technique to treat contaminated soil. Solid biochar exhibits porous structure, and its physicochemical properties make it a suitable potential substitute of various conventionally used strategies such as isolation, immobilization, extraction, etc. This chapter discusses implementation of biochar as a potential candidate for soil remediation by removing heavy metals due to its low production cost and intrinsic properties like availability of functional groups, high alkalinity, and porous structures.
