Bamboo biomass-derived biochar has emerged as the most promising carbonaceous material in environmental remediation. This review summarizes recent advances in bamboo biochar synthesis and modification for the selective removal of emerging contaminants (ECs). Bamboo biochar, with a highly porous structure, large surface area, diverse functional groups, and tunable properties, makes it an excellent adsorbent for the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under different operating conditions. We elucidate the dominant adsorption mechanisms, H-bonding, electrostatic attraction, and π- π interaction between biochar and ECs. However, critical factors affecting the performance of bamboo biochar are biomass particle size, pyrolysis temperature, heating rate, and activating agents. Furthermore, the regeneration performance of bamboo biochar retains 90% of the adsorption capacity for five consecutive cycles using either thermal or solvent regeneration systems. Therefore, bamboo biochar represents a versatile and sustainable material with tunable properties enabling efficient removal of the ECs. The constraints associated with the real-world application of bamboo biochar, including its performance in complex water matrices, were reviewed, and further directions for the implementation of bamboo biochar in water treatment are recommended. • Systematic study on the synthesis of pristine and modified bamboo biochar • Elucidation of the structural and functional alterations after modification • Understanding the mechanistic insights into the removal of ECs on bamboo biochar • Critical evaluation of bamboo biochar functionalization strategies for EC removal
Gurav et al. (2026) studied this question.