Characterization of chars produced in the co-pyrolysis of different waste: Decontamination and leaching studies

The aim of this work was the study of chars obtained in the co-pyrolysis of plastics, biomass and tyre wastes. The chars were extracted with several organic solvents in order to assess the more efficient in reducing the organic load of the chars and, therefore, their toxicity. The ability of each selected extractant to remove toxic pollutants was evaluated by comparing the extraction yields and by characterizing the crude extracts with a combination of chemical analysis and toxicity bioassays. Leaching tests were carried out to evaluate the mobility of persistent contaminants. The results indicate that the more efficient extraction solvent was hexane. Zinc was the heavy metal present in higher amounts in the leachates.