Elemental Composition and Leachability of Inorganic Metallic Elements from Giant Miscanthus-derived Biochar and Municipal Wasste-derived Char Materials
Land application of biochar (or charcoal) has increasingly been recognized due to its favorable effect as soil amendments. However, depending upon the nature of biomass and pyrolysis condition, biochar may be rich in hazardous inorganic elements. Giant Miscanthus showed its potential as a promising source for biochar manufacture but, the risk of heavy metal leaching from Giant Miscanthus-derived biochar (GMB) has not investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the heavy metal leachability of GMB manufactured from 3 different temperatures (400, 500, and 700oC). Elemental composition of C, N, H, S, O and 18 metals were analyzed. Leaching concentration of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn was analyzed using 4 different methods (0.1 N HCl, 1 N NH4OAc, toxicity characteristic leaching procedure, and synthetic precipitation leaching procedure). For comparison, same analysis were performed for two char materials, municipal solid waste char (MWC) and sewage sludge char (SSC), manufactured from pilot-scale muncipal waste gasification plant. Elemental composition of GMB complied with the fertilizer guideline whereas the several heavy metal content (Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn for MWC, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn for SSC) was beyond the criteria. From leaching test, concentration of heavy metals from GMB was positively increased with pyrolysis temperature and the acidity of extractant solution. Leaching concentration of plant nutrients (Ca, K, and Mg) was the highest by 1N NH4OAc. Meanwhile, leaching concentration of Cu from MWC and Pb from SSC exceeded the regulatory standard of Korea and US EPA, respectively. In conclusion, with respect to the risk of heavy metals, Giant Miscanthus-derived biochar will be suitable for land application as a soil amendment, while care should be taken for using municipal waste-derived char materials.