Biochar in Redox-Mediated Reactions for the Removal of Organic Pollutants from Water Resources

Water is the basic necessity of all the creatures that are present on this globe. Despite the fact that there is abundant water available on earth, the one useful for consumption purposes is still very low as the rest is seawater. However, even a small percentage of consumable water is getting polluted at an alarming rate. Hence, there is a severe need to formulate necessary precautions to control water pollution and develop novel water treatment methods. Major pollutants present in water are organic pollutants such as dyes, drugs, and pesticides. Even in small amounts, these pollutants are very dangerous, and they can kill both plants and animals. Among various materials, the use of biochar-mediated water treatment is a method which is getting a great interest nowadays. This book chapter provides examples of how biochar can be used in a variety of redox-mediated processes to remove organic pollutants. The conditions under which biochar is treated, such as the temperature of the pyrolysis and the pH of the product, have a significant impact on its effectiveness. The kind of biomass used as the starting material affects both the chemical and physical properties of biochar. Biochar shows good performance in removing organic pollutants such as dyes, drugs, and pesticides.