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Sewage Sludge Biochar as a Persulfate Activator for Methylene Blue Degradation

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  • Yerkanat N. Kanafin

    (Faculty of Natural Sciences, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan)

  • Rauza Turpanova

    (Faculty of Natural Sciences, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan)

  • Moldir Beisekova

    (Faculty of Natural Sciences, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan)

  • Stavros G. Poulopoulos

    (Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan)

Abstract

Municipal sewage sludge represents a significant environmental challenge due to its large-scale production and limited disposal options. Pyrolysis, a thermal decomposition process, offers a promising approach for converting sewage sludge into biochar, a carbon-rich material with diverse environmental applications. Sewage sludge-derived biochars were prepared at pyrolysis temperatures of 300 °C, 500 °C, 700 °C, and 900 °C (denoted as B300 to B900) and evaluated for their structural, adsorption, and catalytic performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) analyses revealed a distinct temperature-dependent morphological evolution and mineral exposure. The B900 biochar exhibited a BET surface area of 83.8 m 2 /g and the highest pore volume of 0.101 cm 3 /g, indicating a well-developed mesoporous structure. In catalytic degradation tests using 20 mg/L persulfate and 500 mg/L B900, rapid oxidation was observed, achieving 91% methylene blue (MB) degradation in 30 min, highlighting its role in activating persulfate via surface-bound Fe and Al species. Optimization studies confirmed that MB removal efficiency was highest at 500 mg/L biochar and 40 mg/L persulfate, and the system was not significantly affected by the tap and synthetic wastewater matrices. This work demonstrates that biochar obtained from sewage sludge can serve as an eco-friendly and multifunctional material for resource recovery and environmental cleanup.

Suggested Citation

  • Yerkanat N. Kanafin & Rauza Turpanova & Moldir Beisekova & Stavros G. Poulopoulos, 2025. "Sewage Sludge Biochar as a Persulfate Activator for Methylene Blue Degradation," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jcltec:v:7:y:2025:i:3:p:74-:d:1739023
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    1. Ioannis Zafeiriou & Konstantina Karadendrou & Dafni Ioannou & Maria-Anna Karadendrou & Anastasia Detsi & Dimitrios Kalderis & Ioannis Massas & Dionisios Gasparatos, 2023. "Effects of Biochars Derived from Sewage Sludge and Olive Tree Prunings on Cu Fractionation and Mobility in Vineyard Soils over Time," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-13, February.
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    4. Mohammad Ghorbani & Elnaz Amirahmadi & Reinhard W. Neugschwandtner & Petr Konvalina & Marek Kopecký & Jan Moudrý & Kristýna Perná & Yves Theoneste Murindangabo, 2022. "The Impact of Pyrolysis Temperature on Biochar Properties and Its Effects on Soil Hydrological Properties," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-15, November.
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