Interactions between biochar and soil microbes mediate the key processes controlling soil contaminant remediation. We synthesize the main underlying interaction mechanisms between biochar and soil microbes, thereof proposing environmental effects including changed soil physiochemical and biological processes, as well as facilitated organic contaminant degradation and heavy metal transformation. We emphasize multiple roles of biochar functional groups, and hypothesize the pivotal role of biochar-facilitated electron transfer between microbial cells with soil matrix on contaminant remediation. The bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic carbon (PAHs) immobilized with biochar depend on both the pyrolysis temperature of biochar and the molecular weight of PAHs. High temperature biochar (700<sup>o</sup>C) showed greater capability to stably immobilize PAHs with relatively higher molecular weight. Microbial inoculation into soil changed the composition of non-extractable residues (NER) of the herbicide Isoproturon (IPU), resulting in greatly enhanced IPU degradation efficiency and improved the “degradation quality”, which means much less amount of metabolic products and “real NER” formation. Based on the proposed interaction mechanisms between biochar and microbes, a combined application of biochar with degrading microbes is expected to further reduce the environmental risks of soil contaminants.

Interaction mechanisms between biochar and microbes, and their pivotal roles on reducing environmental risks of soil contaminants

256th National Meeting (2018)

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