Magnesium-impregnated biochar for the removal of total phosphorous from artificial human urine

• Published in: International Journal of Engineering and Technology(UAE)
• Main Author: Idrus N.F.M.; Jamion N.A.; Omar Q.; Ghazali S.A.I.S.M.; Majid Z.A.; Yong S.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Science Publishing Corporation Inc 2018
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85082344662&doi=10.14419%2fijet.v7i3.11.15966&partnerID=40&md5=3c8714b1f2a4956c59498978db079fd1

Biochar has an alkaline and porous structure that could be a potential material for recycling phosphorous (P) from urine. Sawdust (SD) was pyrolyzed to produce sawdust biochar (SDB), and then impregnated with magnesium (Mg) to produce Mg-impregnated biochar (SDBM). Artificial human urine (AHU) solution was used for a batch sorption study, and various sorption parameters (i.e., sorbent/solution ratio, pH of AHU, and initial total P concentration of AHU) were optimized. The concentration of total P was measured using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The surface morphology and elemental analysis for SDB, SDBM and the struvite-loaded SDBM (SMSDB) were investigated using scanning electron spectroscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The total P sorption capacity for SDBM (32755 mg/g) was higher than that of SDB (7782 mg/g) and SD (10682 mg/g). The optimum total P removal for SDBM (21.2%) was achieved at a sorbent/solution ratio of 0.06g/L at pH 9. Sorption of total P may have occurred on the heterogeneous surface of SDBM. The presence of struvite crystals indicates that phosphate was adsorbed and then precipitated on the surface of SDBM. © 2018 Authors.