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Updated: May 5, 2026

Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
Published on: November 28, 2014
Microbial etch: A novel construction method of functionalized biochar for enhanced uranium extraction in radioactive
Yazhou Wang1, Xudong Wu2, Xiyang Liu2
1State Key Laboratory of Environment-friendly Energy Materials, School of Life Science and Engineering, National Co-innovation Center for Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Safety, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, PR China; College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, PR China.
Abstract:
Nuclear energy is playing an increasingly important role on the earth, but the nuclear plants leaves a legacy of radioactive waste pollution, especially uranium-containing pollution. Straw biochar with wide sources, large output, low cost, and easy availability, has emerged as a promising material for uranium extraction from radioactive wastewater, but the natural biomass with suboptimal structure and low content of functional groups limits the efficiency. In this work, microbial etch was first came up to regulate the biochar's structure and function. The surface of the biochar becomes rougher and more microporous, and the mineral contents (Ca, P) indirectly increased by microbial etch. The biochar was modified by calcium phosphate and exhibited a remarkable uranium extraction capacity of 590.8 mg g-1 (fitted value). This work provides a cost-effective and sustainable method for preparing functionalized biochar via microbial etch, which has potential for application to uranium extraction from radioactive wastewater.
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