Nitrogen Removal from Landfill Leachate Using Biochar Derived from Wheat Straw

Landfill leachate (LLCH) disposal poses challenges due to high pollutant concentrations. This study investigates the use of biochar (BC) derived from wheat straw for nitrogen content reduction. Laboratory experiments evaluated BC's adsorption capacity (q_m) for nitrogen removal from ammonium chloride solution (NH₄Cl) and LLCH, along with testing isotherm models. The results demonstrated that BC was more efficient (95.08%) than commercial activated carbon AC (93.11%), the blank, in adsorbing nitrogen from NH₄Cl. This superior performance of BC may be attributed to its higher carbon content (57.74%) observed through elemental analysis. Lower results for BC/LLCH may be due to LLCH's complex chemical matrix. The Langmuir isotherm model best described BC/NH₄Cl adsorption (q_m = 0.5738 mg/g). The AC/NH₄Cl data also fitted into the Langmuir (R² ˃ 0.9) with a q_m of 0.9469 mg/g, and 26.667 mg/g (R² ˂ 0.9) was obtained for BC/LLCH; the BC/LLCH also gave higher q_m (R² ˃ 0.9) using the Jovanovich model (which also follows Langmuir's assumptions). The mean energy of the adsorption values estimated for the AC/NH₄Cl, BC/NH₄Cl, and BC/LLCH processes were 353.55, 353.55, and 223.61 kJ/mol, respectively, suggesting that they are all chemisorption processes and ion exchange influenced their adsorption processes. The Freundlich constant (1/n) value suggests average adsorption for BC/LLCH. The BC/LLCH data followed the Harkins-Jura model (R²: 0.9992), suggesting multilayered adsorption (or mesopore filling). In conclusion, biochar derived from wheat straw shows promising potential for landfill leachate remediation, offering efficient nitrogen removal capabilities and demonstrating compatibility with various adsorption models. This research also lays the groundwork for further exploration of other biochar-based materials in addressing environmental challenges associated with landfill leachate contamination.