Biochar mitigates the adverse effects of antimony on methanogenic activity: role as methane production-enhancer

Antimony, extensively used in energy applications, poses toxicity and contamination concerns, especially in anaerobic environments where its impact on microbial activity is poorly understood. Emerging remedies, like biochar, show promise in soil and water treatment. This study investigates biochar's influence on methanogenic activity under Sb(V) and Sb(III) stress using anaerobic sludge as inoculum and lactate as the carbon source. Sb(III) and Sb(V) were introduced at varied concentrations (5-80 mg/L), with or without biochar, monitoring changes in biogas production, pH, Sb, and lactate levels over time. Experiments with Sb(V) also involved calculating mass balance and electron distribution. Results showcased the following significant enhancements: biochar notably improved COD removal and biogas production in Sb(III) spiked conditions, up to 5-fold and 2-fold increases, respectively. Sb(III) removal reached up to 99% with biochar, while in high Sb(V) concentrations, biochar reduced the adverse effect on biogas production by 96%. Adsorption capacities favored biomass (60.96 mg Sb(III)/gVSS, and 22.4 mg Sb(V)/gVSS) over biochar (3.33 mg Sb(III)/g, and 1.61 mg Sb(V)/g) for both Sb species. This study underscores biochar's potential to mitigate metalloid impact on methanogenic activity while aiding Sb removal from liquid phase, suggesting promising implications for remediation and methane production enhancement strategies.