kth.sePublications KTH
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Removal of microplastics and metals in biochar beds for stormwater treatment: Effects of prolonged drying and salinity on pollutant mobility
Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE-752 36, Sweden.
Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE-752 36, Sweden.
Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
Department of The Built Environment, Aalborg University, Thomas Manns Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg Øst, Denmark.
Show others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Environmental Challenges, E-ISSN 2667-0100, Vol. 22, article id 101407Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Biochar-based filters offer a promising solution for removing pollutants from stormwater, yet their performance under environmental stressors remains insufficiently studied. This study evaluated the efficiency of biochar beds in retaining microplastics (MPs) and metals under prolonged dry conditions and with increased salinity. Results showed that MPs were well retained through entrapment in biochar's porous structure, with non-polar polypropylene (PP) fragments removed more efficiently (98–99%) than polar polyamide (PA) fragments (83–92%). The MP retention improved over time, highlighting biochar's long-term filtration potential. However, a five-week dry period lowered effluent pH, consequently increasing metal mobility, while higher salinity events enhanced the dissolution of some metals, reducing their total removal. To simulate real-world conditions, semi-artificial stormwater was created by mixing road dust with deionized water. This mixture, along with virgin MPs, was introduced into biochar beds twice weekly under first-flush conditions. Effluent analysis of metals and MPs via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (µ-FTIR imaging), respectively, confirmed the preferential retention of non-polar MPs and shifts in metal mobility. These findings emphasize the importance of considering environmental conditions and polymer characteristics when assessing biochar's filtration performance in practical applications.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2026. Vol. 22, article id 101407
Keywords [en]
Horizontal filters, Polar and non-polar polymers, Road dust, Sorption, Stormwater, Stormwater treatment
National Category
Environmental Sciences Water Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-376415DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2026.101407Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105028025540OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-376415DiVA, id: diva2:2036636
Note

QC 20260209

Available from: 2026-02-09 Created: 2026-02-09 Last updated: 2026-02-09Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textScopus

Authority records

Dalahmeh, Sahar S.

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Dalahmeh, Sahar S.
By organisation
Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering
Environmental SciencesWater Engineering

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 16 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf