Hydrothermal Carbonization of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Biomass: Migration, Transformation, and Ecological Stability...

Developing effective treatment technologies for heavy metal-contaminated biomass is of great environmental significance. This study explores the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of biomass contaminated with heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb), focusing on the migration, transformation, and ecological stability of these metals during the process. Biomass samples were treated under subcritical conditions at varying temperatures (170-260 °C) and reaction times (1-4 h). Results showed that heavy metals were mainly enriched in biochar (>98%), and Cu predominantly transformed into metallic copper (Cu⁰), Zn tended to form stable organometallic complexes or remain in non-volatile forms, Pb coexisted in both metallic and carbonate species, and Cd converted into metallic and oxidized states. The transformation of these metals was influenced by reaction parameters, such as temperature and time, which affected both their immobilization and the structural properties of the prepared hydrochar. The Tessier extraction experiments showed that the unstable state (F1, F2) of heavy metals in hydrochar was obviously reduced from 17.9% to 6.8%, and the heavy metals were significantly stabilized compared with the original biomass. This research highlights the potential of HTC as a dual-purpose technology for biomass conversion and heavy metal remediation, offering insights for stabilizing contaminants and producing environmentally stable biochar products.