**4. Conclusion**

Biochar is a unique renewable resource, which can be used in a wide variety of applications from addressing various environmental problems like climate change, remediation of pollutants in water and soil to an alternative fuel source. The cascading use of biochar as a byproduct of pyrolysis for wastewater treatment and nutrient recycling can synergistically improve soil and water quality, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient cycling, and fuel crisis. The approach perfectly fits the ideas of the circular economy: reuse and recycle of waste, keeping material and product in use. This approach is connected with three natural cycles: water, carbon, and nutrient and has a direct impact on energy, water, and food systems. While much work has been done in modifying the biochar for adsorption of desired organic or inorganic compounds, very less is known on its application in activated sludge treatment, anaerobic digestion, and the overall quality of the biosolids. As the benefits of the integrated use of biochar in wastewater treatment to soil application is established in this chapter, future experimental research work could verify its effectiveness.

**231**

**Author details**

Charlottetown, Canada

Abhishek Pokharel, Bishnu Acharya\* and Aitazaz Farooque

\*Address all correspondence to: bacharya@upei.ca

provided the original work is properly cited.

Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island,

© 2020 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

AS-PACT Activated Sludge-Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment

*Biochar-Assisted Wastewater Treatment and Waste Valorization*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92288*

2M 2-molar concentration As(V) pentavalent arsenic

<sup>−</sup> nitrate

Fe iron

<sup>3</sup><sup>−</sup> phosphate

Fe(NO3)3 ferric nitrate

Ca calcium FeO ferrous oxide Fe3+ ferric ion

Al aluminum Mn manganese Cr chromium Hg mercury Zn zinc As arsenic

S sulfur

Abbreviations

Cl chlorine

H2S hydrogen sulfide

SH sulfanyl or thiol

SMZ sulfamethazine

<sup>3</sup><sup>−</sup> arsenate ion FeCl3 ferric chloride

MgCl2 magnesium chloride

Cr(VI) hexavalent chromium

COOH▬ carboxylic acid functional group OH▬ hydroxy functional group

Hg(OH)2 mercury hydroxide (bivalent)

E+/<sup>−</sup> ions of compound/element E

PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons VOCs volatile organic compounds

CEC cation exchange capacity AEC anion exchange capacity

R-OH carbon chain with hydroxy functional group

NO3

PO4

AsO4
