Recent Advances in the Effects of Biochar on Constructed Wetlands: Treatment Performance and Microorganisms

Abstract

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a kind of green environmental protection technology, which are widely used in sewage treatment. Traditional CWs are faced with the problem of a low treatment effect of high-concentration sewage. In recent years, biochar, as a new type of adsorption material, has been used in CWs because of its advantages of large specific surface area, strong adsorption capacity, and wide material sources. This paper systematically summarized the characteristics of biochar and the preparation of biochar by studying the changes in microorganisms added to CWs and compared the effects of different treatment methods coupled with biochar on the treatment performance of CWs. The effects of biochar coupled with CWs on enzyme activity, functional genes, metabolites, and microbial communities were investigated. This review summarizes how different preparation methods affect the properties of biochar and how these biochar properties cause changes in the microorganisms added to CWs. It provides a new theoretical basis for the treatment of pollutants in CWs.

Keywords

• constructed wetlands
• biochar
• enzyme activities
• microbial communities