To solve the double problems of methylene blue (MB) pollution in water and waste of straw resources, rape straw biochar (RSB₆₀₀) was made by thermal decomposition of discarded rape residues at 600 °C, and modified RSB600(M-RSB₆₀₀) was prepared after treatment with NaOH for MB adsorption. The physicochemical properties, MB adsorption properties and mechanism of RSB600 and M-RSB600 were studied. According to the experimental findings, M-RSB₆₀₀ has stronger aromaticity, higher hydrophilicity, and more polarity than RSB₆₀₀. Under the same adsorption conditions, M-RSB600 obtained better MB adsorption effect with less dosage. The MB equilibrium adsorption capacity of M-RSB600 reached 268.46 mg/g, which was 65.6% higher than that of RSB600. The quasi-second-order kinetic model better described the adsorption kinetics of MB on RSB₆₀₀ and M-RSB₆₀₀ (R² > 0.98), and the Freundlich and Temkin models better described the adsorption isotherms (R² > 0.95). The adsorption process was spontaneous, internal heat and entropy driven multilayer adsorption, dominated by chemical adsorption, specifically involving multiple interaction mechanisms, including electrostatic adherence, hydrogen-bond, π-π bond and ion-exchange. The results demonstrated that NaOH modification obviously improved the structure of RSB and make it had better adsorption and regeneration performance. M-RSB600 can be utilized as the ideal substance for effectively removing MB from effluent.

To solve the water pollution problem caused by methylene blue (MB), areca residue biochar (ARB) was prepared by pyrolysis at 600 °C, and modified areca residue biochar (M-ARB) was obtained by modifying ARB with 1.5 mol/L NaOH, and they were utilized to adsorb and eliminate MB from water. The structural characteristics of ARB and M-ARB were examined, and the main influencing factors and adsorption mechanism of MB adsorption process were investigated. The outcomes demonstrated an increase in M-ARB’s specific surface area and total pore volume of 66.67% and 79.61%, respectively, compared with ARB, and the pore structure was more abundant, and the content of oxygen element was also significantly increased. When the reaction temperature was 25 °C, starting pH of the mixture was 10, the initial MB concentration was 50 mg/L, the ARB and M-ARB dosages were 0.07 g/L and 0.04 g/L, respectively, the adsorption equilibrium was achieved at about 210 min, and the elimination rate for MB exceeded 94%. The adsorption behaviors of ARB and M-ARB on MB were more in line with the Langmuir isotherm model (R² > 0.95) and the quasi-secondary kinetic model (R² > 0.97), which was characterized by single-molecule layer chemisorption. The highest amount of MB that may theoretically be absorbed by M-ARB in water ranging from 136.81 to 152.72 mg/g was 74.99–76.59% higher than that of ARB. The adsorption process was a spontaneous heat absorption reaction driven by entropy increase, and the adsorption mechanism mainly involved electrostatic gravitational force, pore filling, hydrogen bonding, and π–π bonding, which was a complex process containing multiple mechanisms of action. NaOH modification can make the ARB have more perfect surface properties and more functional group structures that can participate in the adsorption reaction, which can be used as an advantageous adsorption material for MB removal in water.

Using rabbit manure as raw material, three distinct types of rabbit manure biochar (RBC400, RBC500, and RBC600) were prepared via pyrolysis at 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C, respectively. The effects of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of biochar were examined by scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Rabbit manure biochar was used to activate permonosulfate (PMS) to degrade rhodamine B (RhB). The findings revealed that RBC600 prepared at 600 °C showed the strongest catalytic activity due to its abundant pores and pore structure, high graphitization, and high carbonization degree. Under optimal reaction conditions (0.4 g/L PMS and 0.6 g/L RBC600), the degradation rate of 50 mg/L RhB reached 93.38% within 60 min. RBC600 can be effectively recovered, and effective catalytic activity can be sustained after five cycles. The quenching and EPR experiments showed that both free-radical (SO₄⁻ and ·OH) and non-free-radical (¹O₂) pathways contributed to the degradation of RhB, in which ¹O₂ performed a dominant role. In conclusion, the new PMS activator prepared in this study not only realizes the “waste to waste” use of manure waste but also provides technical support for the efficient resource-based treatment of organic wastewater.

With a complex molecular structure, oxytetracycline (OTC) has characteristics such as bioaccumulation and poor degradability. As a result, if it accumulates in the environment, it can cause bacteria to develop drug resistance, thereby affecting human health. There is a considerable cultivation area for macadamia nuts in southwestern China. This study mainly focuses on macadamia nut shells, preparing macadamia nut shell biochar (MBC) and cobalt-modified macadamia nut shell biochar (Co-MBC) for activating permonosulphate (PMS) to remove OTC in the water. To determine the optimal preparation conditions for the biochar, the effects of the pyrolysis temperature and the mass ratio of biomass to cobalt sulfate heptahydrate were investigated. The study shows that after modification, the surface roughness of the material increased, transforming into a micro-pore structure; thus, the specific surface area increases significantly and new functional groups appear on the surface. The optimal pyrolysis temperature for the biochar was determined to be 600 °C, and the optimal mass ratio of biomass to cobalt sulfate heptahydrate was 15:1. Under such conditions, the removal rate of OTC by a Co15-MBC600/PMS system in 20 min can reach 95.53%. The reaction mechanism involves pathways of the free radical (SO₄⁻) and non-free radical (¹O₂), and the Co²⁺/Co³⁺ cycle can promote the activation of PMS. Finally, the OTC can be mineralized into CO₂ and H₂O by reactions such as demethylation and decarboxylation. Co-MBC is highly effective and green and can be reused; therefore, it has good prospects for the removal of OTC in waste water.