Effective reclamation and remediation of lands and process water affected by oil sands extraction require cost-effective, locally sourced, and novel materials for efficient contaminant removal. Among these, biochar holds significant promise for remediating soil and water contaminants, restoring soil functionality, and facilitating the return of treated water to the environment. The previous FES project focused on developing novel biochar materials for land and water reclamation, showing notable progress in lead (II) adsorption by novel biochars. Although the experimental work is complete, results are still being prepared for publication, and outreach to the industry and general public is needed.

The current project will expand the FES project "Development of novel biochar materials for land and water reclamation" by advancing research on novel biochar applications, specifically novel biochars for environmental remediation. We will evaluate the efficacy of nitric acid-activated biochar, biochar nanocomposites, and nitric acid-activated hydrochar on lead (II) adsorption and prepare these findings for scientific publication.