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Levels of persistent toxic substances in different biochars and their potential ecological risk assessment

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Abstract

This study investigated the levels of persistent toxic substances, such as 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Σ16PAHs) and heavy metals (Cu, As, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Mo, and Cr) in biochars produced from crop residues (walnut shell, corn cob, corn straw, rice straw, and rice husk) at different heat treatment temperatures (HTTs, 250, 400, and 600 °C). The levels of Σ16PAHs in different biochars were 0.47–7.11 mg kg−1, with naphthalene and phenanthrene contributing the most. The Σ16PAHs had the positive correlations with H/C and (O + N)/C, but had negative correlations with biochar surface areas. This finding indicates the increasing hydrophobic π-π interactions between the PAHs and the aromatic sheets of biochars and even the trapping of PAHs within the micropores with the increase of HTTs. The levels of heavy metals in rice residue-derived biochars were significantly higher than those in other biochars. The heavy metals had positive correlations with ash contents in the biochars, indicating the enrichment of heavy metals in the ash. The potential ecological risks of PAHs and heavy metals (dosage: 1%, w/w; frequency: 1) were minimal according to the risk quotient of negligible concentrations (RQNCs: 2.50–47.40, << 800) and maximum permissible concentrations (RQMPCs: 0.02–0.48, << 1) for PAHs and the potential ecological risk indexes (PERI: 0.01–0.28, << 150) for heavy metals.

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Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project Nos. 41402305 and 41401584) and the Science Technology Research and Extension Project of Shanxi Provincial Water Resources Department (Project No. 2015SHJ3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environment and Safety, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, Shanxi Province, China

    Guixiang Zhang, Zhihua Zhao, Xiaofang Guo, Zhiwang Han, Qiusheng He & Hongying Xu

  2. Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Beijing, 100101, China

    Fengsong Zhang

Authors
  1. Guixiang Zhang
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  2. Zhihua Zhao
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  3. Xiaofang Guo
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  4. Zhiwang Han
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  5. Qiusheng He
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  6. Fengsong Zhang
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  7. Hongying Xu
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Correspondence to Fengsong Zhang.

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Responsible editor: Hailong Wang

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Zhang, G., Zhao, Z., Guo, X. et al. Levels of persistent toxic substances in different biochars and their potential ecological risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 33207–33215 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3280-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3280-8

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