Industrial alkali lignin-derived biochar as highly efficient and low-cost adsorption material for Pb(II) from aquatic environment

Developing a cost-effective and high-efficiency biochar is critical in various environmental applications. Lignin-based materials are natural and abundant adsorbents to heavy metals benefited from their special polyphenol structure and physicochemical properties. In this study, adsorption capacities to Pb(II) by alkali lignin (AL) and its biochar derivative (ALB) were comparatively discussed, and the latter exhibited superior adsorption performance, with a maximum adsorption capacity almost twice that of the former, and a much faster absorption rate. The q(m) value of ALB was significantly superior to that of other reported biochar materials. Pb(II) was mainly adsorbed into ALB in three forms: mineral precipitation, ion exchange, and surface complexation, with complexation and mineral precipitation being the dominant mechanisms of adsorption. This study demonstrates that alkali-lignin derived biochar is a promising material for the remediation of polluted by Pb(II).