Mercury Removal from Contaminated Water by Wood-Based Biochar Depends on Natural Organic Matter and Ionic Composition

Chaudhuri, Sampriti; Sigmund, Gabriel; Bone, Sharon E.; Kumar, Naresh; Hofmann, Thilo

doi:10.1021/acs.est.2c01554

Title: Mercury Removal from Contaminated Water by Wood-Based Biochar Depends on Natural Organic Matter and Ionic Composition

Journal Article · Thu Aug 04 00:00:00 UTC 2022 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c01554 · OSTI ID:2471717

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University of Vienna (Austria)
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Wageningen University (The Netherlands)

Biochars can remove potentially toxic elements, such as inorganic mercury [Hg(II)] from contaminated waters. However, their performance in complex water matrices is rarely investigated, and the combined roles of natural organic matter (NOM) and ionic composition in the removal of Hg(II) by biochar remain unclear. Here, we investigate the influence of NOM and major ions such as chloride (Cl^–), nitrate (NO₃^–), calcium (Ca²⁺), and sodium (Na⁺) on Hg(II) removal by a wood-based biochar (SWP700). Multiple sorption sites containing sulfur (S) were located within the porous SWP700. In the absence of NOM, Hg(II) removal was driven by these sites. Ca²⁺ bridging was important in enhancing removal of negatively charged Hg(II)-chloro complexes. In the presence of NOM, formation of soluble Hg-NOM complexes (as seen from speciation calculations), which have limited access to biochar pores, suppressed Hg(II) removal, but Cl^– and Ca²⁺ could still facilitate it. The ability of Ca²⁺ to aggregate NOM, including Hg-NOM complexes, promoted Hg(II) removal from the dissolved fraction (<0.45 μm). Hg(II) removal in the presence of Cl^– followed a stepwise mechanism. Weakly bound oxygen functional groups in NOM were outcompeted by Cl^–, forming smaller-sized Hg(II)-chloro complexes, which could access additional intraparticle sorption sites. Therein, Cl^– was outcompeted by S, which finally immobilized Hg(II) in SWP700 as confirmed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. We conclude that in NOM containing oxic waters, with relatively high molar ratios of Cl^–: NOM and Ca²⁺: NOM, Hg(II) removal can still be effective with SWP700.

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Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)

Sponsoring Organization:: Kommunalkredit Public Consulting GmbH; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 2471717

Journal Information:: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 56; ISSN 0013-936X

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Mercury Removal from Contaminated Water by Wood-Based Biochar Depends on Natural Organic Matter and Ionic Composition

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