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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
Published on: November 28, 2014
Magnetic modified and Fe/Zn modified biochar enhanced removal of polystyrene microplastics in constructed wetlands:
Jun Xiao1, Dongmei Luo2, Yuan Cao2
1Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment (Ministry of Education), College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Chongqing 400716, PR China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Rural Cleaner Production, Chongqing 400716, PR China.
Abstract:
Microplastics (MPs) pollution poses a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems. Constructed wetlands (CWs) can intercept MPs, but traditional fillers suffer from saturation and lack functional interfaces. To address this, this study proposed a material-interface-microbe coupling strategy and prepared magnetic modified biochar (MBC) and Fe/Zn modified biochar (FZBC) as CW fillers. Material characterization showed increased specific surface area, oxygen-containing groups, and metal oxide sites on modified biochar. In 180-day experiments with influent polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) at 10, 100, and 1000 μg/L, MBC and FZBC achieved removal rates of 69.27-88.82% and 60.47-88.15%, respectively, significantly outperforming gravel (CK, 20.36-79.75%) and raw biochar (BC, 40.53-84.75%). Microbial analysis revealed enrichment of functional genera, includingPseudomonas,Bacillus, andStenotrophomonas. It also showed higher predicted abundances of key degradation enzymes (e.g., alkane monooxygenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase) and electron transport chain-related genes. These observations suggest that enhanced PS-MPs removal by modified biochar may result from a combination of adsorption and microbial metabolic support, implying a potential abiotic-biotic coupling process that requires direct verification. Overall, this study provides a promising strategy for MPs pollution control in aquatic environments using modified biochar-based CWs.
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