Activated biochar removes 100 % dibromochloropropane from field well water

Dibromochloropropane was one of the primary chemical soil fumigants used to control nematodes. As a consequence, dibromochloropropane is now occurring widely in groundwater. This situation requires treating drinking water before human consumption because exposures to dibromochloropropane have shown linkage to infertility and circulatory system diseases. Here, activated biochar was produced from almond shells and used in the field to remove dibromochloropropane from a municipal water well. Results show that activated biochar removed 100 % of the dibromochloropropane for approximately 3 months and continued to remove it to below treatment standards for an additional 3 months. The breakthrough was modeled by a liquid film mass transfer model that described the experimental data very well. This manuscript reports on the efficient use of local resources such as almond shells to address local environmental needs.