Activated Biochar Surface Modification for Enhanced Adsorption of Emerging Contaminants from Water

Abstract

The increasing occurrence of emerging contaminants in water resources has created significant environmental and public health concerns due to their persistence, toxicity, and resistance to conventional treatment processes. This study investigates activated biochar surface modification techniques for enhancing the adsorption performance of emerging contaminants from water systems. The proposed approach focuses on improving the physicochemical properties of biochar through activation and functionalization methods to increase surface area, pore structure, adsorption sites, and interaction capability with diverse contaminant species. A comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the influence of activation conditions, surface functional groups, feedstock composition, pyrolysis temperature, pH, and contaminant concentration on adsorption efficiency and removal behavior. Advanced characterization techniques confirmed the development of highly porous activated biochar structures with enhanced surface reactivity and improved affinity toward pharmaceutical residues, endocrine-disrupting compounds, dyes, and other emerging pollutants. Adsorption performance analysis demonstrated significant improvements in contaminant removal capacity, adsorption kinetics, and equilibrium behavior compared to untreated biochar materials. The modified biochar also exhibited enhanced stability, reusability, and resistance to fouling during repeated treatment cycles. Comparative evaluation revealed that optimized surface modification strategies substantially improve adsorption efficiency through electrostatic interaction, pore filling, and surface complexation mechanisms. Furthermore, the use of biochar derived from renewable biomass resources contributed to environmentally sustainable and cost-effective water treatment solutions.