Releasing and Assessing the Toxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Biochar Loaded with Iron

Abstract

Iron (Fe)-loaded biochar has garnered attention for its potential applications in recent years. However, the pyrolysis process of Fe-loaded biochar generates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can have adverse effects on both human health and the environment. This study explored the correlation between Fe loading and PAH production in Fe-loaded biochar. The results indicate that increasing Fe loading in biochar reduces the PAH concentration, with the most significant decrease observed in naphthalene (0.02–0.08 mg/kg). This reduction can be attributed to the decrease in precursor compounds (e.g., C 2 H 2 ), substitution of the C=O bond by Fe–O, and a decrease in the dissolved organic matter concentration (3.19–10.76 mg/L) with Fe loading. When Fe loading increased from 0 to 10%, the ecological toxicity of biochar increased by 33.48% due to an elevated production of dibenzo[ a , h ]anthracene, which poses a significant risk to human health. Therefore, it is imperative to take into consideration the ecological risk of PAHs prior to the application of Fe-loaded biochar. This study presents a comprehensive risk assessment of Fe-loaded biochar and provides valuable insights into the optimization of its production and safe application.