What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to assess the efficiency of hydrochar and biochar in removing organic pollutants from swine wastewater.

May 31, 2026Open Access

Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Solutions: Using Hydrochar to Target Organic Pollutants in Swine Wastewater

EWEllen Marie WilliamsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Key Points

This study aims to assess the efficiency of hydrochar and biochar in removing organic pollutants from swine wastewater.
Evaluated ZnCl2/FeCl3 layered double hydroxide-modified hydrochar and biochar from waste biomasses (alligator weed and digested sludge).
Measured removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC).
Statistical significance analyzed for performance comparisons.
Modified alligator weed hydrochar achieved 95.8% COD removal and 70.4% TOC removal.
Modified digested sludge hydrochar resulted in 89.8% COD removal and 73.01% TOC removal.
Statistical significance confirmed with p<0.0001 for both COD and TOC removals.

Abstract

Poorly managed swine wastewater (SWW) contaminates the environment, posingsignificant ecological and public health challenges. To address this, carbon-based filtrationsystems offer a cost-effective solution. However, their application to SWW remains limited,particularly in the development of sustainably derived and functionally engineered sorbents, likebiochar and hydrochar. This study evaluates the performance of novel ZnCl2/FeCl3 layereddouble hydroxide (LDH)-modified hydrochar and biochar derived from waste biomasses(alligator weed (AW) and digested sludge (DS)) for the removal of organic contaminants fromSWW. Modified AW hydrochar, as well as modified DS hydrochar and biochar, achievedcomparable removal efficiencies, with COD removals of 95.8%, 89.8%, and 94.5%, and TOCremovals of 70.4%, 73.01%, and 83.3%, respectively. The time-based results indicated statisticalsignificance, confirming the performance comparisons (COD p<0.0001, TOC p<0.0001). Thesefindings demonstrate that AW and DS can be valorized into high-performance hydrochars forboth sustainable waste management and effective SWW treatment.

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