Work

Modification of lignin-based porous carbons to enhance the naphthalene-contaminated soil remediation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Sustainable remediation of organic contaminants in environmental matrices has become a key research topic in contemporary environmental science. In this study, lignin-derived porous carbon was applied to assist bioaugmentation for the remediation of naphthalene-contaminated soil. The highest naphthalene biodegradation efficiency of 51.7% was achieved within 98 days when fermented alkali-pretreated lignin-derived porous carbon (F-APL) was combined with co-cultured strains. This efficiency was markedly higher than that obtained with bioaugmentation alone (18.7%) and with commercial porous carbons (23.2–30.1%). The enhanced performance of F-APL can be attributed to its improved adsorption properties, including higher porosity, larger specific surface area, and abundant oxygen-containing functional groups. The relative abundances of Burkholderiales and Gemmatimonadales , which are potentially associated with naphthalene transformation, increased after the addition of F-APL. In addition, enzyme activities and soil physicochemical properties were substantially improved in naphthalene-contaminated soil remediated using the combined system of F-APL and co-cultured strains.

Source: Industrial Crops and Products

DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.124219

Authors: Jia-Qi Cui, Kai Chen, Eric Fordjour, Jun-Cheng Liu, Bing-Zhi Li

Institutions: Tianjin University, Heilongjiang University

Language: English

Topic: Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants

Subfield: Pollution

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Responsible consumption and production, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,720