Bioavailability and leaching of Cd and Pb from contaminated soil amended with different sizes of biochar

Biochars have been successfully used to reduce bioavailability and leaching of heavy metals in contaminated soils. The efficiency of biochar to immobilize heavy metals can be increased by reducing the particle size, which can increase the surface area and the cation exchange capacity (CEC). In this study, the empty fruit bunch biochar (EFBB) of oil palm was separated into two particle sizes, namely, fine (F-EFBB < 50 µm) and coarse (C-EFBB > 2 mm), to treat the contaminated soil with Cd and Pb. Results revealed that the addition of C-EFBB and F-EFBB increased the pH, electrical conductivity and CEC of the contaminated soil. The amounts of synthetic rainwater extractable and leachable Cd and Pb significantly decreased with the EFBB application. The lowest extractable and leachable Cd and Pb were observed from 1% F-EFBB-treated soil. The amount of extractable and leachable Cd and Pb decreased with increasing incubation times and leaching cycles. The application of F-EFBB to Cd and Pb-contaminated soil can immobilize the heavy metals more than that of C-EFBB. Therefore, the EFBB can be recommended for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils, and a finer particle size can be applied at a lower application rate than the coarser biochar to achieve these goals.