Peanut shell based biochar for Heavy Metal Removal and Agricultural Remediation

• Heavy Metal Removal: The composite hydrogel can be used to remove cadmium and other heavy metals from contaminated water and soil.
• Agricultural Remediation: It helps mitigate heavy metal stress in crops, improving growth and yield, particularly in plants like tobacco affected by cadmium pollution.

This project developed a composite hydrogel (AM/CMC/B) using peanut shell biochar to adsorb cadmium (Cd) from water and mitigate its toxicity in tobacco seedlings. The hydrogel demonstrated high Cd adsorption capacity and improved seedling growth under Cd stress, enhancing root development, photosynthesis, and antioxidant activity. It offers an environmentally friendly solution for heavy metal removal and plant stress reduction. This approach holds promise for soil and water pollution remediation and crop protection.

The process used in this project involves the preparation of a biochar-based composite hydrogel. First, peanut shells are subjected to pyrolysis to produce biochar. Then, the biochar is combined with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and acrylamide (AM) using hydrothermal polymerization to create the composite hydrogel (AM/CMC/B). This hydrogel is then used to adsorb cadmium from water and mitigate its toxicity in plants.