Biochar - Call for papers: Biochar for remediation of emerging inorganic pollutants in the environment
The following special issue in Biochar is open for submissions. The submission deadline is Apr 30, 2024.
Call for papers: Biochar for remediation of emerging inorganic pollutants in the environment
Lead Guest Editor:
Dr. Xing Yang, College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, China
Guest Editors:
Dr. Xiangzhou Yuan, Ministry of Education of Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, China
Dr. Jörg Rinklebe, University of Wuppertal, Germany
Dr. Filip M.G. Tack, Vakgroep Groene Chemie en Technologie, Universiteit Gent, Belgium
Dr. Sabry M. Shaheen, University of Wuppertal, Germany; Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt
Aims and Scope:
Existing studies on emerging pollutants (EPs) mainly focused on emerging organic pollutants (EOPs). Less attention has been paid on emerging inorganic pollutants (EIPs) including precious metals (e.g., gold (Au) and silver (Ag)), platinum metals (e.g., platinum (Pt) and rhodium (Rh)), radioactive (uranium (U), radium (Ra), and thorium (Th)), and rare earth elements (e.g., lanthanum (La) and cerium (Ce)), and other emerging toxic elements such as vanadium (V), thallium (Tl), tin (Sn), etc. Recently, dramatically growing interests focus on environmental occurrence, behavior, toxicity, and health risk of those inorganic emerging pollutants in both soil and water. It is imperative to develop cost-effective and eco-friendly approaches for the remediation of soils and waters contaminated with EIPs in view of their severe and chronic risks to natural environment and human health.
In the past decade, lots of attempts have been made regarding practical applications of biochar and functionalized biochar (engineered biochar/modified biochar) to treat soils and waters contaminated with inorganic and organic contaminants. However, impacts of biochar/functionalized biochar on the immobilization and removal of EIPs in/from soils and waters is still very lacking. In addition, it is of great interest and significance to uncover the underlying biogeochemical processes of these EIPs which are altered by the application of biochar/functionalized biochar, and in turn reveal the biogeochemical mechanisms hidden beneath the apparent performance. Therefore, this Special Issue intends to demonstrate the latest developments in the fabrications and applications of functionalized biochar to remediate soils and waters contaminated with EIPs towards sustainable development, which are beneficial to achieving several goals of UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Possible Topics:
- Novel fabrication methods of engineered biochar to remediate soil, water, and air contaminated with EIPs.
- Active learning-aided functionalized biochar design and its application on regulating biogeochemical processes of EIPs.
- Biogeochemical behaviors of EIPs in the environment as affected by biochar/functionalized biochar application.
- Transformation, translocation, and ecotoxicity of EIPs in soil-plant system.
- Interactions between EIPs and EOPs as affected by biochar/functionalized biochar amendment.
- The adsorption and desorption of EIPs on biochar/functionalized biochar (or amended soil) in aquatic system.
- Long-term EIP (im)mobilization mechanisms of biochar/functionalized biochar under dynamic environmental conditions.
- Green remediation of soil, water, and air contaminated with EIPs with lowest disturbance to the ecosystem using biochar/functionalized biochar.
- Environmental impacts and economic sustainability of biochar/functionalized biochar application on the fate and transport of EIPs in the environment.