Effects of phosphorus-rich sawdust biochar sorption on heavy metals

The aim of this paper is to study the efficiency of typical heavy metals in electroplating sludge in terms of different phosphorus dosages (0.5 wt.%, 1 wt.% and 3 wt.%), initial pH (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) and adsorption times (1, 3, 5, 7 and 12 h) of biochar. The heavy metal speciation was determined after adsorption to estimate the stability of ion-adsorption precipitation. Results show that phosphorus-modified biochar enhances the removal efficiency of heavy metals. Low mobility of heavy metal speciation was investigated. It is also shown that initial pH has a significant impact on the heavy metal speciation after adsorption.