(Press-News.org)
The Biochar Myth-Buster
We’ve all heard the story: biochar cleans water by adsorbing pollutants—trapping them like a sponge. Or, in fancier setups, it acts as a catalyst to help oxidants like hydrogen peroxide break down toxins. But Dr. Gao’s team asked a bold question: What if biochar can degrade pollutants all by itself? Turns out—it can. And it’s been doing it quietly all along.
The Electron Ninja: Biochar’s Secret Power
The secret lies in electron transfer—a natural ability of biochar that’s been overlooked for years. Think of it like this: instead of just catching a bad guy (adsorption), biochar can now take them down on its own (direct degradation). Using advanced electrochemical tests, quantification methods, and correlation analysis, the team proved that biochar actively breaks down organic pollutants through direct electron transfer—without needing extra chemicals. In their experiments, direct degradation accounted for up to 40% ± 10% of the total pollutant removal. That’s almost half the cleaning power coming straight from the biochar itself!
What Makes Biochar So Electric?
Not all biochar is created equal. The team discovered that three key features supercharge its electron power:
C–O and O–H functional groups – the “handholds” for electron transfer
Graphitic carbon structure – the “highway” for electrons to travel fast
The better the structure, the more electrons flow, and the faster pollutants vanish.
Even after five reuse cycles, the biochar kept its direct degradation power—nearly 100% stable. That’s sustainability with stamina.
Why This Changes Everything
This study flips the script on how we use biochar in wastewater treatment. It’s not just a passive filter or a sidekick catalyst—it’s an active pollutant destroyer.
This means:
Fewer chemicals needed in water treatment plants
Lower costs and less sludge
Greener, smarter purification for industries and communities
“Biochar has been underestimated,” says Dr. Gao. “It’s not just a sponge—it’s a battery, a conductor, and a degrader all in one. We’re just beginning to tap into its true potential.”
A New Era for Environmental Engineering
With industrial pollution still a global challenge, discoveries like this are more than just lab wins—they’re blueprints for a cleaner future. By clarifying the difference between adsorption, direct degradation, and indirect (catalytic) degradation, this research paves the way for smarter, more efficient biochar design—custom-built for real-world water crises. And at the heart of it all is Dalian University of Technology, shining as a hub of innovation in environmental science and industrial ecology.
Ready to Rethink “Clean”?
Next time you hear “biochar,” don’t just think “carbon-rich charcoal.” Think electron-powered eco-warrior—silently zapping pollutants, one electron at a time. Kudos to Dr. Yuan Gao and the DUT team for pushing the boundaries of green tech. Stay tuned, stay curious, and let’s keep turning science into solutions—for cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, and a more sustainable world.
===
Title: Structure-performance relationship of biochar for direct degradation of organic pollutants
Keywords: Biochar properties; Direct degradation; Indirect degradation; Electron transfer
Citation: Zhang, F., Gao, Y., Gao, Y. et al. Structure-performance relationship of biochar for direct degradation of organic pollutants. Carbon Res. 4, 53 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-025-00219-3
===
About Carbon Research
The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.
Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky.
END
A sticky, toxic by-product that has long plagued renewable energy production may soon become a valuable resource, according to a new review published in Biochar.
When biomass such as crop residues, wood, or other organic matter is heated to produce clean energy and biochar, it also generates a thick liquid known as bio-tar. This tar easily clogs pipelines, damages equipment, and poses environmental risks if released into the atmosphere. For decades, researchers have sought ways to eliminate or neutralize it.
Now, a team led by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences argues that instead of being treated as waste, bio-tar can be converted into “bio-carbon”—a ...
Beneath our feet, an invisible world of electron exchanges quietly drives the chemistry that sustains ecosystems, controls water quality, and even determines the fate of pollutants. A new review published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes sheds light on how electrons travel through soils and sediments across surprisingly long distances—sometimes spanning centimeters to meters—reshaping our understanding of underground environments and offering new strategies for pollution cleanup.
Redox reactions—the give-and-take of electrons between chemical species—are fundamental to life and environmental stability. They govern how nutrients cycle, ...
A British led study published by The BMJ today provides detailed data on the pattern and severity of traumatic injuries and medical conditions seen by international healthcare workers deployed to Gaza during the ongoing military invasion.
Healthcare workers describe “unusually severe” traumatic injuries including complex blast injuries, firearm related injuries, and severe burns. Many respondents with previous experience of conflicts reported that the pattern and severity of injuries in Gaza were greater than those they had encountered in previous warzones.
It’s thought to be the first study ...
EAST LANSING, Mich. – One-third of Americans will visit an emergency department, or ED, within a month of their death. While EDs are primarily purposed to provide emergent care, they’re increasingly becoming an initial touchpoint for hospice and palliative care, or HPC, referrals and consultations, according to a new study from several researchers at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences.
The article, which will appear in the November 2025 issue of the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, shares findings from the largest study to date that evaluates hospice and palliative care consultations ...
New research from Portland State University’s Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) shows that transit-oriented developments (TODs) in the Portland metro area generate far fewer car trips than standard estimates suggest—especially at sites that include affordable housing.
A 2025 report, "Portland Metro Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs): 2024 Resident Survey Findings (PDF)," builds on a long-running PSU study tracking TOD residents since 2005. Led by Nathan McNeil, Jennifer Dill, and Kyuri Kim, the research surveyed residents at TODs built between 2018 and 2023 across ...
Rice anthropologist among first to use AI to uncover new clues that early humans were prey, not predators
Were early humans hunters — or hunted?
For decades, researchers believed that Homo habilis — the earliest known species in our genus — marked the moment humans rose from prey to predators. They were thought to be the first stone tool users and among the earliest meat eaters and hunters based on evidence from early archaeological sites.
But fossils of another early human species — African Homo erectus — show they lived alongside ...
A new book co-edited by Professor Emeritus Alistair Black and Associate Professor Bonnie Mak (School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Toni Weller (De Montfort University), and Laura Skouvig (University of Copenhagen) provides a field-defining, comprehensive study of information history. The Routledge Handbook of Information History, released last month by Routledge, examines how society, politics, culture, and technology have shaped information practices over millennia. The 638-page volume features more than forty contributors from around the world.
Black and Mak each contributed a chapter in the book and jointly authored the opening chapter which ...
Researchers supported by FAPESP have found antibiotic-resistant bacterial clones in wild birds at a rehabilitation center. The identified Escherichia coli clones have been found in community- and hospital-acquired human infections worldwide, and they were present in the intestinal tracts of a vulture and an owl.
The impact of these strains on animals is unknown; however, in humans, they are known to cause infections in patients with weakened immune systems for which there are few effective treatment options. The ...
University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today that Andreea Creanga, MD, PhD, a distinguished and internationally recognized leader in maternal and perinatal health, has been appointed the new Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. She will also be installed as the Simon and Bessie Grollman Distinguished Professor. Her appointment is effective December 2025.
The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health houses seven divisions ...
Machine-learning models can speed up the discovery of new materials by making predictions and suggesting experiments. But most models today only consider a few specific types of data or variables. Compare that with human scientists, who work in a collaborative environment and consider experimental results, the broader scientific literature, imaging and structural analysis, personal experience or intuition, and input from colleagues and peer reviewers.
Now, MIT researchers have developed a method for optimizing materials recipes and planning experiments that incorporates information from diverse sources like insights ...
