A new cleaning process for the metallic contaminants on a post-CMP wafer's surface

This paper presents a new cleaning process using boron-doped diamond （BDD） film anode electrochemical oxidation for metallic contaminants on polished silicon wafer surfaces. The BDD film anode electrochemical oxidation can efficiently prepare pyrophosphate peroxide, pyrophosphate peroxide can oxidize organic contaminants, and pyrophosphate peroxide is deoxidized into pyrophosphate. Pyrophosphate, a good complexing agent, can form a metal complex, which is a structure consisting of a copper ion, bonded to a surrounding array of two pyrophosphate anions. Three polished wafers were immersed in the 0.01 mol/L CuSO4 solution for 2 h in order to make comparative experiments. The first one was cleaned by pyrophosphate peroxide, the second by RCA （Radio Corporation of America） cleaning, and the third by deionized （DI） water. The XPS measurement result shows that the metallic contaminants on wafers cleaned by the RCA method and by pyrophosphate peroxide is less than the XPS detection limits of 1 ppm. And the wafer＇s surface cleaned by pyrophosphate peroxide is more efficient in removing organic carbon residues than RCA cleaning. Therefore, BDD film anode electrochemical oxidation can be used for microelectronics cleaning, and it can effectively remove organic contaminants and metallic contaminants in one step. It also achieves energy saving and environmental protection.

Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Metal Removal from Contaminated Aqueous Solutions by Solid Bidentate Ligands&Liquid Plant Materials

Heavy metal contaminated water sources pose serious health risks for humans,animals,and plants.Exposure to and ingestion of heavy metals have been associated to liver,kidney,and brain function.Objective:The aim of this research is to comparatively examine the metal removal efficacy of three solid bidentate chemicals and four plant materials.Study Design&Methods:Standard solutions of zinc(II)and lead(II)ions with concentrations of 1,000 ppm were respectively treated with OA(Oxalic Acid),dibasic bidentate ligands(sodium hydrogen phosphate and sodium carbonate).Then,the solutions were placed on a shaker for 15 h,centrifuged,and the supernatant was analyzed using ICP-AES(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry).Results:All the solid bidentate adsorbents were very effective in removing zinc and lead(>90%).However,more lead than zinc was removed across all adsorbents except for lemon where equal percent of zinc and lead(49%)were removed.OA and Na2HPO4 removed about equal amount of lead(>99%).The plant materials(SP(Spinach),bell pepper and GBP(Green Bell Pepper)),respectively and preferentially removed more lead(98.9%,98.3%,81.5%)than zinc(91.7%,46%,46%).Conclusion:Although plant materials have gained attraction for the remediation of heavy metal,however,some bidentate chemical ligands such as OA,sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen phosphates are even more effective in removing these metals from contaminated water.Furthermore,heavier metals are preferentially removed than lighter metals.

Assessment of Heavy Metals Contamination of Topsoil and Street Dust around Cement Factory in Southern Jordan

Evaluation of assessment of the metal processes governing the metals distribution in soil and dust samples is very significant and protects the health of human and ecological system. Recently, special attention has given to the assessment of metals pollution impact on soil and dust within industrial areas. This study aims to assess the metal contamination levels in the topsoil and street dust around the cement factory in Qadissiya area, southern Jordan. The levels of seven metals (namely Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Mn) were analyzed using Flame Atomic Absorption Spec-trophotometer (FAAS) to monitor, evaluate, and to compare topsoil and road dust pollution values of metals of the different types of urban area. The physicochemical parameters which believed to affect the mobility of metals in the soil of the study area were determined such as pH, EC, TOM, CaCO3 and CEC. The levels of metal in soil samples are greater on the surface but decrease in the lower part as a result of the basic nature of soil. The mean values of the metals in soil can be arranged in the following order: Zn > Pb > Mn > Fe > Cu > Cr > Cd. The relatively high concentration of metals in the soil sample was attributed to anthropogenic activities such as traffic emissions, cement factory and agricultural activities. Correlation coefficient analysis and the spatial distribution of indices and the results of statistical analysis indicate three groups of metals: Fe and Mn result by natural origin, Zn, Pb, Cu and Zn result by anthropogenic origin (mainly motor vehicle traffic and abrasion of tires) while Cd is mixed origin. The higher content level values of metals of anthropogenic source in soil samples indicate that it is a source of contamination of air in the studied area. .

Human Health Risks from Exposure to Heavy Metals of Suspended Particulate Matter around the Tongon Gold Mine, Côte d’Ivoire

The Tongon mine, the largest gold mine in C?te d’Ivoire, has been in operation since April 2010. However, to our knowledge to date, no study has been conducted on metallic contamination in suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) where there is a lack of information on the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk to human health associated with the exposure of populations in the Tongon area to these pollutants. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the level of contamination of PM10;PM2.5 by heavy metals and their impact on the health of populations exposed to these pollutants in the Tongon gold mine area. The sampling and measurement of suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) were done using a MiniVol TAS passive air sampler. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (Nex ION 2000 ICP-MS, USA). The results indicate that the average concentrations of suspended particles (PM2.5 and PM10) obtained are all above the recommended exposure limits. In addition, among the heavy metals contained in the suspended particles, the concentrations of arsenic and nickel are high and all above the standard limit values. The assessment of the health risks related to the inhalation of PM10 particles reveals that their inhalation over a long period could cause a carcinogenic risk.

GIS Mapping, Biomonitoring and Distribution of Heavy Metal Concentrations Using Neem (Azadirachta indica) Bark in Makurdi Town, Benue State, Nigeria

The present work determined the concentration and spatial distribution of heavy metals (As, Hg, Cr, Cd and Pb) in soil samples from Makurdi and its environs using geographic information system (GIS). The specific objective is to produce the spatial distribution maps showing the spatial distribution of toxic heavy metals in the study area. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), a GIS technique was used to produce dotted maps showing the spatial distribution of heavy metals in neem bark for better visualization of contamination zones and non-contamination zones. The map reveals few hotspot areas showing areas of high concentrations of the heavy metals investigated which were identified in red colours, the following concentration ranges were obtained;As (4.71 - 6.43 mg/kg), Cd (13.9 - 16.84 mg/kg), Cr (46.3 - 60.84 mg/kg), Hg (3.70 - 5.05 mg/kg) and Pb (24.02 - 31.34 mg/kg). These hotspot areas were found close to business outlets, fuel filling and service stations, farm sites where the application of fertilizers and pesticides were persistent coupled with heavy traffic of vehicles and other machinery which was associated with As, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr been released into the environment thus, suggesting anthropogenic activities controlling the concentration of these heavy metals in the study areas. The cumulative effect of these heavy metals into the barks of neem could pose as danger, because this plant is used as herbs in folk medicine.

Assessment of the Level of Metal(loid)s Pollution and Bioactive Compounds Screening of Anthill Soil

The anthill soil is used by hypertensive elderly and teenagers from Oshikoto region (Namibia) and many of them testified stabilization of their blood pressure to normal after consuming the anthill soil-derived aqueous extracts. This study therefore investigated and/or assessed the physicochemical parameters, the contents of some metal(loid)s (and their associated potential health risks) and the qualitative composition of bioactive compounds of this anthill soil. The homogenous soil sample collected from various anthill soils in the Oshikoto region was used to obtain the measurements of physiochemical parameters. The elemental contents were determined (using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometer) after acid digestion in accordance with the EPA method 350B and their potential health risk assessments were performed. Methanol, aqueous methanol, and aqueous-based extracts were generated via maceration extraction process prior to the screening of bioactive compounds using standard diagnostic assays. The oxidation reduction potential (164.4 ± 16.6 mV) was the only physicochemical parameter whose value was within the World Health Organization limits for drinking water whereas, total dissolved solids (23 ± 5.5 mg/L), electrical conductivity (44 ± 10.1 uS/cm) and pH (5.35 ± 0.33) were out of specifications. Phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides were present in anthill soil (with respect to the extractants used) to which its antihypertensive properties can be attributed in addition to some of the studied mineral components. With respect to the pH, TDS and EC, and the contents of most metal(loid)s in relation to their health risk assessment values, the results suggest that aqueous extracts derived from this anthill soil can be deemed unsuitable for human consumption.

Effects of Glomus mosseae on the toxicity of heavy metals to Vicia faba

A glasshouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate effects of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae on the growth of Vicia faba and toxicity induced by heavy metals （HMs） （Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd） in a field soil contaminated by a mixture of these metals. There was also uninoculation treatment （NM） simultaneously. Mycorrhizal （GM） plants have significantly increased growth and tolerance to toxicity induced by heavy metals compared with NM plants. P uptake was significantly increased in GM plants. Mycorrhizal symbiosis reduced the transportation of HMs fi＇om root to shoot by immobilizing HMs in the mycorrhizal, shown by increasing the ratios of HMs from root to shoot. Oxidative stress, which can induce DNA damage, is an important mechanism of heavy metal toxicity. GM treatment decreased oxidative stress by intricating antioxidative systems such as peroxidases and non-enzymic systems including soluble protein. The DNA damage induced by heavy metals was detected using comet assay, which showed DNA damage in the plants was decreased by the GM treatment.

Role of nickel on vanadium poisoned FCC catalyst: A study of physiochemical properties

Active sites of Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst are poisoned during operation in the FCC reactor due to causes including feedstock contaminant metals deposition. This leads to activity, selectivity and increasing coking problems, thereby raising concern to the refiner. This work investigated effect of nickel coexisting with vanadium in the FCC feedstock on the standard FCC catalyst during cracking process, in which destruction of active sites occurs as a result of the metals deposition. Laboratory simulated equilibrium catalysts (E-cats) were studied by XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, N-2 adsorption, solid state MAS-NMR, SEM and H-2-TPR. Results revealed that vanadium, above a certain concentration in the catalyst, under hydrothermal conditions, is highly detrimental to the catalyst's structure and activity. Conversely, nickel hardly affects the catalyst structure, but its co-presence in the catalyst reduces destructive effects of vanadium. The mechanism of nickel inhibition of vanadium poisoning of the catalyst is discussed. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous removal of Cr(Ⅵ), Cd, and Pb from aqueous solution by iron sulfide nanoparticles: Influencing factors and interactions of metals

Cadmium(Cd),lead(Pb),and hexavalent chromium(Cr(Ⅵ)) are often found in soils and water affected by metal smelting,chemical manufacturing,and electroplating.In this study,synthetic iron sulfide nanoparticles(FeS NPs) were stabilized with carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC) and utilized to remove Cr(Ⅵ),Cd,and Pb from an aqueous solution.Batch experiments,a Visual MINTEQ model,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer(XPS) analysis were used to determine the removal efficiencies,influencing factors,and mechanisms.The FeS NP suspension simultaneously removed Cr(Ⅵ),Cd,and Pb from an aqueous solution.The concentrations of Cr(Ⅵ),Cd,and Pb decreased from 50,10,and 50 mg·L^(-1) to 2.5,0.1,and 0.1 mg·L^(-1),respectively.The removal capacities were up to 418,96,and 585 mg per gram of stabilized FeS NPs,respectively.The acidic conditions significantly favored the removal of aqueous Cr(Ⅵ) while the alkaline conditions favored the removal of Cd and Pb.Oxygen slightly inhibited the removal of Cr(Ⅵ),but it had no significant influence on the removal of Cd and Pb.A potential mechanism was proposed for the simultaneous removal of Cr(Ⅵ),Cd,and Pb using FeS NPs.The interactions of the three heavy metals involved a cationic bridging effect on Cr(Ⅵ) by Cd,an enhanced adsorption effect on Cd by [Cr,Fe](OH)_3,precipitation of PbCrO_4,and transformation of PbCrO_4 to PbS.Therefore,FeS NPs have a high potential for use in the simultaneous removal of Cr(Ⅵ),Cd,and Pb from contaminated aqueous solutions.

Quantitation of metallothionein and cadmium in metallothionein in mink livers by anion-exchange HPLC-GFAAS method

Metallothionein (MT) has a great capacity of binding heavy metals showing an interesting connection with metal toxicology, as a biochemical marker for environmental metal pollution. Anino-exchange high per formance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to isolate and quantitate MT in livers of minks which were contaminated with heavy metals. MT isoforms (MT-I and MT-II) were eluted at approximately 11.3 and 14.3 min respectively from a DEAE-5 PW anion-exchange column with a Tris-HCl buffer (0.01 -0.25 mol/L, pH 8.6) and detected by UV absorbance at 254 nm. The cadmium concentrations in mink liver MT elutkms were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) . Obvious increase in liver MT-I concentration rather than liver MT-II was found when the minks were contaminated by feeding contaminated fish captured from the heavy metal-polluted river. The cadmium concentration in mink liver MT-I also increased to some extent as the contaminated level increased.

An analysis of River Derwent pollution and its impacts

As the major water catchment in Hobart city, the River Derwent provides water services to Hobart residents; however, water quality of the River Derwent is becoming unreliable. The aims of this paper are to identify the major water issues in the river and to reveal its impacts on Hobart residents and ecosystem. A methodology of secondary data analysis has been involved; which covers a wide range of existing dissertations. Through all the analysis of data, heavy metals, contaminated sediment and overload nitrogen can be regarded as three main causes of the water pollution. Moreover, the impacts of the water pollution are proved to be significant and perennial. On the basis of the analysis result, water pollution tends to be a tough issue that requires a great amount of time and efforts to deal with.

A Review of Pteridophyta Potential in Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Environments

Pteridophyta are vascular plants(plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce and disperse via spores. In evolution,pteridophyta lie between bryophyta and spermatophyta. Pteridophyta have unique ecological characteristics of high environmental adaptation and barren resistance. Some varieties of pteridophyta have ability of excessive absorption and accumulation of heavy metals such as arsenic(As) and antimony(Sb). Besides,pteridophyta have excellent performance in absorbing such heavy metals as cadmium(Cd),lead(Pb),copper(Cu),and nickel(Ni),and rare earth elements. In this paper,a review was made for application,mechanism,and advantages of pteridophyta in remediation of heavy metal contaminated environments,and prospect and possible research fields of pteridophyta in phytoremediation were discussed.

Application of Principal Component Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Pollution Index and Geoaccumulation Index in Pollution Assessment with Heavy Metals from Gold Mining Operations, Tanzania

Gold mining is now widely acknowledged as one of the significant sources of soil pollution in developed countries. In developing countries, the sources and levels of soil contamination have not been thoroughly addressed. Thus, this study was intended to determine the source of soil pollution and the level of contamination in the active and closed gold mining areas. The research paper presents the pollution load of heavy metals (lead-Pb, chromium-Cr, cadmium-Cd, copper-Cu, arsenic-As, manganese-Mn, and nickel-Ni) in 90 soil samples collected from the studied sites. Multivariate statistical analysis, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA), coupled with correlation coefficient analysis, was performed to determine the possible sources of pollution in the study areas. The results indicated that Pb, Cr, Cu and Mn come from different sources than Cd, As and Ni. The results obtained from the metal pollution assessment using the Pollution Index (PI) and the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) confirmed that soils in the mining areas were contaminated in the range from moderately through strongly to highly contaminated soils. This study verified that soil contamination in the gold mining areas results from natural and anthropogenic processes. The current study findings would enhance our knowledge regarding the soil contamination level in the mining areas and the source of contamination. It is recommended to use PCA, CA, PI and Igeo to assess and monitor the heavy metal contaminated soil in gold mining areas.

Comparative Evaluation of Calcium, Magnesium, Copper and Zinc Removal by Wood Ash, Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Hydrogen Phosphate

Remediation via adsorption process has been proven to be one of the best water treatment technologies globally. Many adsorbents, including agricultural wastes, have been considered for the removal of a variety of pollutants from water. However, most of the studies reported in the literature used metal concentrations below 1000 ppm. It is also known that initial metal concentrations in polluted aqueous solutions, as well as metal and adsorbent type, are some of the factors that affect metal removal. Therefore, this project examined the remediation of water contaminated by 1000 ppm of lead, zinc, copper, magnesium, and calcium ions using wood ash, sodium hydrogen phosphate (dibasic), and sodium carbonate (dibasic). Comparative analysis of the results showed the order of order of metal removal by the adsorbents as: dibasic phosphate (Ca > Cu > Pb > Zn > Mg);dibasic Carbonate (Pb ~ Ca > Zn > Cu > Mg);Wood ash (Mg > Cu > Zn > Pb > Ca). These results suggest that metal and adsorbent type as well as the inherent chemical properties of these metal cations may contribute to the varying binding affinity of the metals to the adsorbent ligand(s) and thus, affect the extent of metal removal. It is equally worthy to note that wood ash more effectively removed hardness metals (Mg and Ca) from water than the inorganic phosphate and carbonate ions.

Investigation of Different Pre-Treated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is a common method of studying carbon-based materials such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). However, the analysis of this technique is non-trivial since recorded spectra may be a convolution of both molecular vibrations and phonon resonances. The energies of these physical processes may occur in the same energy regime, and hence several analytical approaches can be necessary for a full analysis. Due to the negligible quantities of non-graphitic carbon in MWCNT, the present fitting procedure focuses on understanding phonon resonances to elucidate how varying modifications of MWCNT ultimately influence their graphitic bulk structure. We have found this approach to provide greater insight into the structure of MWCNT when low quantities of amorphous carbon are present, when compared with methods which try to interpret both phonon scattering and molecular vibrations simultaneously. Different pre-treatments for the modification of the graphitic structure of MWCNT are compared, including aqueous acidic and gas phase methods, and statistically evaluated. Focusing on phonon resonances enables one to analyze the reaction process of nitrosulfuric acid pre-treatment at different temperatures. Thereby, it is possible to control the ratio between defects and graphitic structures in MWCNT samples and prepare samples with reproducible D/G ratios.

Impact of inorganic and organic pollutants from a Belgian wastewater treatment plant on adjacent surface and groundwaters

Under the pressure of global droughts and water shortage,it is essential to evolve toward a sustainable and robust water system.One possible avenue is the maximum reuse of treated wastewater,but the quality of which determines its reuse.Therefore,inorganic(Cd,Pb,Cr,Ni,Cu,and As)and organic(xenoestrogens and polycyclic aromatic contaminants,PACs)contaminants were monthly monitored in an effluent of the wastewater treatment plant(WWTP),the surrounding surface waters and the local groundwater in Belgium.Dissolved and particulate concentrations of inorganic contaminants in these water bodies were analyzed.In addition,Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films(DGT)was used in situ to obtain bioavailable metal fractions.In the WWTP effluent and surface waters,only Ni exceeds the Annual Average-Environmental Quality Standard(AA-EQS),while in the groundwater,dissolved As was the predominant element.Moreover,in the surface and effluent waters the highest lability degrees were observed for Cd and Ni.The concentrations of these metal species in the effluent water were lower than in the other water bodies.Micro-organic pollutants,xenoestrogens and PACs were analyzed by dual Estrogen and Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor-Chemical Activated LUciferase gene eXpression(ER&AhR-CALUX)assays.Since the annual averaged(AA)bioequivalent concentration of E2(0.18 ng/L)is below the AA-EQS standard(0.4 ng/L),and the bioequivalent concentration of benzo[a]pyrene never exceeded the maximum admissible concentration(MAC),the reclamation and reuse of treated wastewater for groundwater replenishment and agricultural irrigation should pose no environmental problems,at least in a short-term.

Cadmium,chromium,copper,iron,lead,mercury,nickel,and zinc in freshwater fish:Assessing trophic transfer using stable isotope ratios ofδ^(15)N andδ^(13)C

Introduction The health benefits of consuming aquatic organisms are clear,given their high protein count,low saturated fats,and low cholesterol content.Fish,in particular,contains valuable nutrients(e.g.,omega-3 polyunsaturated fats),vitamins,essential elements,and is therefore considered an important part of a balanced human diet.China is a major seafood producer,accounting for 58%of global production in 2018(Crona et al.,2020).China is the largest seafood consuming country in the world,with consumption rates steadily increasing.Since the 1978 Chinese economic reform,the amount of seafood consumed per capita in China increased from 5 kg per capita in 1980 to 41 kg in 2015(Zhang et al.,2021).By 2030,the overall amount of fish consumption will likely exceed the amount of fish production in China.

Development of one-class classification method for identifying healthy T.granosa from those contaminated with uncertain heavy metals by LIBS

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS)can be used for the rapid detection of heavy metal contamination of Tegillarca granosa(T.granosa),but an appropriate classification model needs to be constructed.In the one-class classification method,only target samples are needed in training process to achieve the recognition of abnormal samples,which is suitable for rapid identification of healthy T.granosa from those contaminated with uncertain heavy metals.The construction of a one-class classification model for heavy metal detection in T.granosa by LIBS has faced the problem of high-dimension and small samples.To solve this problem,a novel one-class classification method was proposed in this study.Here,the principal component scores and the intensity of the residual spectrum were combined as extracted features.Then,a one-class classifier based on Mahalanobis distance using the extracted features was constructed and its threshold was set by leave-one-out crossvalidation.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the proposed method were reached to 1,0.9333 and 0.9667 respectively,which are superior to the previously reported methods.

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination hazards in nuisance dust particles, in Kurdistan Province, western Iran

The effects of natural andgeochemical factors depending on heavy metal contamination in nuisance dust particles were evaluated. The nuisance dust particles were sampled using passive deposit gauge method for one year from April2010 to March2011 and the obtained samples were measured for the total contents and the contamination levels of Fe, Mn, Cu and As usinggeo-accumulation index （Igeo ）, enrichment factor （EF） and the integrated pollution index （IPI）. The results showed that, the contamination levels of Fe and Mn based on Igeo values, were uncontaminated （Igeo 〈 0） （variations of the Igeo index was from -3.11 to -1.751 for Fe, from -0.630 to -1.925 for Mn）, while the values of Cu and As were demonstrated to have moderate contamination based on Igeo values （variations of Igeo index was from -1.125 to 0.848 for Cu, and from -2.002 to 1.249 for As）. The analysis of EF also revealed minor to moderate enrichment for Mn （1.215-4.214）, minor to moderately severe enrichment for Cu （2.791-6.484）, and As （1.370-8.462）, respectively. The variation of the IPI index also showed low to moderate level of heavy metal pollution in nuisance dust particulates （0.511-1.829）. The analysis of the results also approved that the natural processes andgeochemical variables （the changing meteorological parameters） can significantly affect the availability of heavy metals in nuisance dust particles in Western Iran.

Review on utilization of biochar for metal-contaminated soil and sediment remediation

Biochar is a carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative material produced through thermal decomposition of plant-and animal-based biomass under oxygen-limited conditions.Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the application of biochar as an adsorbent, soil ameliorant and climate mitigation approach in many types of applications.Metal-contaminated soil remediation using biochar has been intensively investigated in small-scale and pilot-scale trials with obtained beneficial results and multifaceted effects.But so far, the study and application of biochar in contaminated sediment management has been very limited, and this is also a worldwide problem. Nonetheless, there is reason to believe that the same multiple benefits can also be realized with these sediments due to similar mechanisms for stabilizing contaminants. This paper provides a review on current biochar properties and its use as a sorbent/amendment for metal-contaminated soil/sediment remediation and its effect on plant growth, fauna habits as well as microorganism communities. In addition, the use of biochar as a potential strategy for contaminated sediment management is also discussed, especially as regards in-situ planning. Finally, we highlight the possibility of biochar application as an effective amendment and propose further research directions to ensure the safe and sustainable use of biochar as an amendment for remediation of contaminated soil and sediment.