Page 55 - Book of Abstracts 2020

th
8 Biannual Conference on Chemistry - CHEM 08

Lignocellulose Biomass : A Renewable and Sustainable

Source for Generating Hydrochars and Activated Carbons
for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants

Umair Ahmed Qureshi
Government Boys Degree College Qasimabad, Hyderabad

ABSTRACT
Emerging contaminants (EC's) are pollutants of growing concern. They
are mainly organic compounds such as: pesticides, pharmaceuticals and
personal care products, hormones, plasticizers, food additives, wood
preservatives, laundry detergents, surfactants, disinfectants, flame
retardants, and other organic compounds that were found recently in
natural wastewater stream generated by human and industrial activities.
The majority of ECs do not have standard regulations and could lead to
lethal effects on human and aquatic life even at small concentrations. The
conventional primary and secondary water treatment plants do not
remove or degrade these toxic pollutants efficiently and hence need cost
effective tertiary treatment method. Adsorption is one of the highly
acclaimed techniques that has benefits such as ease of operation, good
efficiency and economically more feasible. Among the adsorbents used for
the removal of these unregulated compounds, lignocellulose based
hydrochars and activated carbon from them have outperformed the
existing commercially expensive activated carbons. Hydrothermal
method of preparing hydrochars is not only a cheap method but also
environmentally friendly technique that reduces the emission of
greenhouse gases and yield heavy metal free scaffold to prepare activated
carbon in substantial yield. Thus, we have highlighted recent advances in
different lignocellulose based hydrochars achieved through hydothermal
method followed by chemical activation for the removal of ECs. Their
gaps associated with them have been highlighted and future
recommendations are also proposed in this presentation to in order to
widen the scope of these materials in green chemistry.

BOOK OF ABSTRACTS CHEM 08 (2020) Page 54