Abstract
Mercury is considered one of the toxic pollutants that are present in the environment through natural or anthropogenic additions. Mercury in elemental, inorganic, and organic forms poses a serious risk to the environment and living organisms. The increase in mercury concentration due to the cyclic movement through soil–air–water interactions for several years results in poisoning depending on its chemical form and exposure. Apart from inorganic mercury, methylmercury is quite toxic as it accumulates in the food chain through biomagnification, which later causes health hazards. Biochar is a carbonaceous material that is produced due to the thermal dissociation of plant and animal material under a low oxygen supply. Recent studies have mostly focused on the extensive application of biochar as a soil ameliorant, adsorbent, and many other applications. However, Hg-contaminated soils and their remediation were studied well, but the sediment and aqueous solution studies were limited. This chapter brings out detailed information about biochar preparation and its physicochemical and biological characteristics. The different mechanisms of biochar preparation for mercury remediation have been clearly discussed. It has also highlighted the modifications of biochar for better mercury remediation. Finally, we have discussed reusing and recycling biochar after mercury reclamation.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful for the grant received from the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam in the form of (GITAM—Research Seed Grants—RSG) with ref. No-2022/0149 for the resources.
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Reddy, M.K., Reddy, K.V.N.S., Dadhich, A.S. (2023). Mercury Remediation: Easing Biochar Approach. In: Kumar, N. (eds) Mercury Toxicity. Environmental Science and Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7719-2_10
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