(481f) Biochar from Chlorella Pyrenoidosa Algal Biomass: A Sustainable Solution for Heavy Metal Removal in Wastewater Treatment

The increase in industrialization and population has led to a surge in wastewater volume, emphasizing the need for efficient treatment and reuse methods to ensure water sustainability. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies often struggle to effectively eliminate heavy metal pollutants found in both industrial and domestic wastewater. Therefore, the development of cost-effective solutions is imperative. Adsorption technologies, particularly utilizing biochar as an adsorbent, show promise in addressing this challenge. In this study, highly porous and active biochar was produced from Chlorella pyrenoidosa algal biomass through fast pyrolysis followed by activator agents sodium bicarbonate. Analysis revealed that the synthesized biochar materials consist mainly of mesoporous amorphous carbon. Elevated pyrolysis temperatures resulted in higher surface area biochar, with the highest BET specific surface area reaching 1280 m²/g at 750 °C, comprising microporous and external surface areas. Batch experiments demonstrated the efficacy of the modified biochar in removing lead (Pd) from synthetic wastewater samples, with a maximum adsorption capacity (q_max) of 115 ± 20 mg/g attributed to abundant active sites for heavy metal adsorption on the surface.

Keywords: Modified Biochar; Fast Pyrolysis; Adsorption; Water Sustainability; Heavy Metal Removal

Acknowledgements: Authors are grateful to King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) for financial support to do this research work through project No. INRC2404.