Impact of Pyrolysis Temperature on the Removal of Nutrients Using Coarse Rice-Husk Biochar

Abstract

Biochar is a known potential for nutrient removal in wastewater. This study focuses on the adsorption of rice-husk biochar to remove nutrients in the form of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate in the wastewater. Two types of bio-char production were used: laboratory-made biochar with variations of pyrolysis temperature and biochar made traditionally by local people. The results showed pyrolysis temperature influence the sorption capacity of nitrate and phosphate. The best nitrate sorption capacity using biochar made with low pyrolysis temperature, whereas the best phosphate sorption capacity using biochar made with high pyrolysis temperature. While the best ammonium sorption capacity by biochar made traditionally. The use of biochar with a coarse form shows nutrient sorption ability that is not inferior to the powder form compared to the other research. The use of coarse biochar forms can be selected if the powder form is impractical for field applications. The utilization of biochar variations can be selected according to the dominant nutrient removal needs in the field.