Microbial etch: A novel construction method of functionalized biochar for enhanced uranium extraction in radioactive wastewater

Nuclear energy is playing an increasingly important role on the earth, but the nuclear plants leaves a legacy of radioactive waste pollution, especially uranium-containing pollution. Straw biochar with wide sources, large output, low cost, and easy availability, has emerged as a promising material for uranium extraction from radioactive wastewater, but the natural biomass with suboptimal structure and low content of functional groups limits the efficiency. In this work, microbial etch was first came up to regulate the biochar's structure and function. The surface of the biochar becomes rougher and more microporous, and the mineral contents (Ca, P) indirectly increased by microbial etch. The biochar was modified by calcium phosphate and exhibited a remarkable uranium extraction capacity of 590.8 mg g − 1 (fitted value). This work provides a cost-effective and sustainable method for preparing functionalized biochar via microbial etch, which has potential for application to uranium extraction from radioactive wastewater.