Utilization of Biochar for Eliminating Residual Pharmaceuticals from Wastewater Used in Agricultural Irrigation: Application to Ryegrass

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Mayowa Akintoroye - , TUD Dresden University of Technology, Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (Author)
  • Robert Ato Newton - , Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (Author)
  • Sylvie Kříženecká - , Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (Author)
  • Stanislav Hejda - , Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (Author)
  • Pavel Krystyník - , Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (Author)
  • Markus Ahnert - , Chair of Urban Water Management (Author)
  • Josef Trögl - , Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (Author)
  • Peter Krebs - , Chair of Urban Water Management (Author)
  • Karim Suhail Al Souki - , Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (Author)

Abstract

Biochar is known to be a promising material for the treatment of contaminants in wastewater and soil. In this research, wastewater samples collected at the tertiary stage from a WWTP located in the North Bohemia region of Czechia and containing 20 pharmaceutical contaminants were treated with the same biochar (wood and maize cob feedstocks, pyrolysis temperature of 470 °C), but of different doses (0.1 g L−1, 0.25 g L−1, 0.5 g L−1). In this case study, we aimed to verify the impacts of biochar application and/or concentration on the sorption of pharmaceuticals in water. The treated water was later used for irrigating planted (ryegrass taken as the plant model) and unplanted agricultural soils in a pot experiment. Soils and ryegrass samples were examined again for potential pharmaceutical existence, and the soil microbial activities were determined through fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activities (FDHA). Results showed that most pharmaceuticals concentrations were significantly, but not totally, reduced from the wastewater upon biochar addition. Contaminants such as 3-hydroxycarbamazepine and metoprolol were entirely removed from the wastewater after 0.25 g L−1, whilst bezafibrate did not decline even at 0.5 g L−1. Moreover, the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in ryegrass biomass and soils were dominantly below detection limits or at very low doses. Finally, there were no significant differences in the microbial activities of the soils. This implicates that biochar could be approached as a good substrate for eliminating pharmaceuticals from wastewaters used for agricultural irrigation; however, more similar studies need to be carried out.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number2987
JournalAgronomy
Volume12
Issue number12
Early online date28 Nov 2022
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85144839353

Keywords

Keywords

  • pharmaceutical contaminants, soil microbial activities, wastewater, biochar