Effect of KH2PO4-modified biochar on immobilization of Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and as during anaerobic digestion of swine manure

In this study, the immobilization performance and mechanisms of heavy metals (HMs) in swine manure (SM) during anaerobic digestion (AD) with biochar (BC) and KH2PO4-modified biochar (BP) were investigated. BC and BP addition decreased DTPA-extractable Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn amount, transformed these HMs to more stable state, and decreased the ecological risks of these HMs by 2 grades accordingly. BP exhibited a higher passivation efficiency for Cr, Cu and Pb and 5% -10% biochar dosage showed the maximum passivation effects. Characterization results showed that Cr, Cu and Pb immobilization with BP were mainly attributed to the formation of phosphate precipitation. However, both DTPA extraction and mobility of As increased with biochar addition, because the release of phosphorus in biochar had negative effect on As immobilization. BP could serve as a novel remediation agent for Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn passivation but special attention should be paid with As presence.

Automated summary

This study found that adding biochar and KH2PO4-modified biochar during anaerobic digestion can reduce the ecological risks of heavy metals in swine manure, but special attention should be paid to the presence of arsenic.