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Adsorption and Reaction of Organic Contaminants on Surfaces of Condensed Carbonaceous Materials

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Twenty Years of Research and Development on Soil Pollution and Remediation in China

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Abstract

Condensed carbonaceous materials (CCMs) refer to inert and aromatic-rich materials that are generated from either pyrolysis or diagenetic condensation processes of biomass. CCMs are ubiquitous in soils and sediments and play a critical role in the environmental fate of organic contaminants. CCMs often exhibit strong retention for organic contaminants due to the high specific surface area and strong adsorbing ability. CCMs are also able to mediate hydrolysis and redox reactions of organic contaminants in the environment. In recent years, engineered synthetic CCMs (such as biochar and carbon nanomaterials) have attracted tremendous interest in many environmental applications including water and wastewater treatment and soil remediation. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms and key factors controlling the adsorption behavior and the reactivity of organic contaminants on the surfaces of CCMs is very important for both prediction of the environmental fate of contaminants and environmental applications of CCMs. In this chapter, we reviewed relevant research papers during the last two decades with a focus on those published by our research group. Special attention was given to how the electronic and structural properties of organic contaminants, as well as the surface chemistry and pore structure of CCMs, affect the adsorption and reaction processes. We also discussed the challenges and perspectives in the field.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Dongqiang Zhu, Heyun Fu, Mengxing Xie & Linzi Zuo

  2. School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Dongqiang Zhu

  3. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China

    Wei Chen

Authors
  1. Dongqiang Zhu
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  2. Heyun Fu
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  3. Wei Chen
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  4. Mengxing Xie
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  5. Linzi Zuo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dongqiang Zhu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China

    Yongming Luo

  2. Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, China

    Chen Tu

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Zhu, D., Fu, H., Chen, W., Xie, M., Zuo, L. (2018). Adsorption and Reaction of Organic Contaminants on Surfaces of Condensed Carbonaceous Materials. In: Luo, Y., Tu, C. (eds) Twenty Years of Research and Development on Soil Pollution and Remediation in China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6029-8_36

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