Pesticides in the drinking water supply constitute a serious threat to public health in the developing world, yet few mitigation technologies are available to low-income communities and households. Biochar sorbent produced from local agricultural and forestry residues using traditional kiln methods and low-cost gasifier systems can be integrated in decentralized small community and household water treatment trains for removal of harmful synthetic organic contaminants such as pesticides.  We present results from ongoing field and laboratory research of biochars produced from biomass gasifiers and traditional kiln systems for use in water treatment targeting pesticides. We present characterization (surface area and porosity analysis, elemental content, thermogravimetric analysis), equilibrium herbicide uptake capacity and dynamic herbicide sorption-desorption kinetics in the presence of background natural organic matter for a representative range of biochars produced from several feedstocks using a traditional kiln, programmable laboratory furnace pyrolyzer, and cookstove-scale (1-gal) and farm-scale (55-gal) gasifier units.

Herbicide sorption/desorption by biochars produced from traditional kiln and low-cost gasifier systems: Applications in sustainable decentralized water treatment for developing communities

245th National Meeting (2013)

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