Adsorption of Phosphate from Aqueous Solution Using Hydrochar Produced from Agricultural Wastes

Excess phosphorus (P) in agricultural runoff can cause eutrophication in nearby waterbodies. Therefore, it is crucial to remove P from agricultural runoff before it reaches aquatic environments. This study evaluated the P adsorption potential of adsorbents prepared via co-hydrothermal carbonization of multiple agricultural wastes, including dairy manure (DM), corn stover (CS), and eggshell (ES), followed by thermal activation. The performance of the prepared adsorbents was investigated by both batch and column experiments. The activated hydrochar (AHC) with a DM/CS/ES ratio of 1:0:1 showed the highest P adsorption capacity of 209 ± 0.6 and 65.97 ± 9.04 mg/g in batch and column experiments, respectively. The P adsorption mechanism was well described by the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.8802) and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model (R2 > 0.8989). The adsorbent indicated the longest breakthrough and exhaust time of 210 and 540 min, respectively, with an adsorbent dose of 1 g and an initial concentration of 25 mg P/L. The breakthrough curve was well described by the Thomas model (R2 > 0.971). Thus, this study indicates that AHC with eggshell has high potential for use as an adsorbent for P removal from agricultural runoff.