Biochar-assisted Fenton-like oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene-contaminated soil

In the present study, the biochar derived from sunflower husks was used as a mediator in the heterogeneous Fenton process. The physical and chemical characteristics were studied in terms of specific surface area, elemental contents, surface morphology, surface functional groups, thermal stability, and X-ray crystallography. The main aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of biochar in a heterogeneous Fenton process catalyzed by hematite toward the degradation of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in Haplic Chernozem. The Fenton-like reaction was performed at a pH of 7.8 without pH adjustment in chernozem soil. The effects of operating parameters, such as hematite dosage and H₂O₂ concentrations, were investigated with respect to the removal efficiency of BaP. The overall degradation of 65% was observed at the optimized conditions where 2 mg g^-1 hematite and 1.25 M H₂O₂ corresponded to the H₂O₂ to Fe ratio of 22:1. Moreover, the biochar amendment showed an increment in the removal efficiency and promotion in the growth of spring barley (Hordeum sativum distichum). The BaP removal was reached 75 and 95% after 2.5 and 5% w/w addition of biochar, respectively. The results suggested that the Fenton-like reaction's effectiveness would be greatly enhanced by the ability of biochar for activation of H₂O₂ and ejection of the electron to reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II). Finally, the presence of biochar could enhance the soil physicochemical properties, as evidenced by the better growth of Hordeum sativum distichum compared to the soil without biochar. These promising results open up new opportunities toward the application of a modified Fenton reaction with biochar for remediating BaP-polluted soils.