ReviewRSC advances2026
Carbon footprint of biomass-derived activated carbon: life cycle assessment, environmental sustainability, and carbon-negative potential.
Review in RSC advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Biomass-derived activated carbon has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-based activated carbon owing to its renewable origin, excellent adsorption performance, and potential to support circular bioeconomy and climate mitigation strategies. However, its overall environmental sustainability depends not only on the renewable nature of biomass feedstocks but also on greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout production, utilization, regeneration, and end-of-life management. This review critically reviews the carbon footprint of biomass-derived activated carbon from a life cycle perspective, emphasizing the influence of feedstock selection, production technologies, activation methods, transportation, energy consumption, and chemical utilization on environmental performance. The application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon accounting frameworks for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, identifying environmental hotspots, and evaluating carbon-negative potential is comprehensively discussed. Comparative analyses of diverse biomass feedstocks and recent experimental studies demonstrate that agricultural residues generally exhibit lower environmental burdens than fossil-derived precursors, although sustainability remains highly dependent on process design, regional energy systems, and methodological assumptions. Emerging applications in water purification, air pollution control, carbon dioxide capture, catalysis, energy storage, hydrogen storage, and soil carbon sequestration further illustrate the multifunctional role of biomass-derived activated carbon in sustainable development. Finally, current challenges, knowledge gaps, and future research priorities are highlighted to facilitate the development of low-carbon, resource-efficient, and industrially scalable activated carbon production systems.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.