Assessment of biochars obtained at two different pyrolysis temperatures to mitigate pollution due to Lumax®

New strategies, such as biochar soil amendment, are continuously developed to restore the agricultural environment from the adverse effects of agrochemicals. The sorption efficiency of a biochar depends on the specific raw materials and pyrolysis variables applied, such as temperature and heating time, that shape its physico-chemical properties. In this study, the sorption capacity of two biochars obtained from coppiced hardwoods at two different pyrolysis temperatures ( 6 5 0 C and 1100 C, denominated BCLT and BCHT, respectively) was assessed for Lumax®, a pre-emergence selective herbicide used for maize cultivation. Lumax® is composed of S-metolachlor (MTC), terbuthylazine (TBZ), and mesotrione ( M S T ) , therefore the sorption behaviour of active ingredients, alone or mixed as in the commercial formulation, was studied on two biochar samples to identify the best product to mitigate Lumax® pollution. Our results show that, although biochar performance depends on the physicochemicals properties of both the biochar and the pollutants, B C H T was the most suitable in retaining the Lumax® active ingredients, likely due to its high aromaticity.