Impact of biochar coexistence with polar/nonpolar microplastics on phenanthrene sorption in soil

Microplastics and biochar normally coexist in soil. In this study, two microplastics of different polarities (nonpolar polyethylene (PE) and polar polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT)) and two wheat straw biochars produced at 400 (W4) and 700 °C (W7) were selected to investigate the sorption behaviors of phenanthrene in soil where microplastics and biochar coexisted. The results showed that the presence of PE more significantly weakened the adhesion of soil particles onto biochar than the presence of PBAT. Meanwhile, the presence of biochar enhanced the soil particle attachment on the microplastic surface. As a result, the sorption behavior of phenanthrene was significantly different in soil where biochar coexisted with microplastics of different polarities. The Koc values of PE-biochar-soil mixtures at Ce= 0.005 Cs were up to 42 % lower than those of PBAT-biochar-soil mixtures, which is related to lower micropore area of particles isolated from the former. However, at Ce = 0.05 Cs and 0.5 Cs, the Koc values of PE-biochar-soil mixtures were up to 1.4 times higher than those of PBAT-biochar-soil mixtures because of a more significant reduction in biochar surface polarity when it coexisted with nonpolar PE. [Display omitted] •The presence of biochar (W) increased the soil particle adhesion to microplastics.•Nonpolar PE more obviously reduced soil particle adhesion to W than polar PBAT.•Surface polarity and Smic of PE-W-soil were lower than those of PBAT-W-soil.•Koc values of PE-W-soil at Ce= 0.005 Cs were lower than those of PBAT-W-soil.•Koc values of PE-W-soil at Ce= 0.05 and 0.5 Cs were higher than those of PBAT-W-soil.