[Terrapreta] plastic "char" TP

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Bernie,

I think that since plastics are in general made from petroleum, then they will contain both heavy metals (e.g. lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium) and halogens (e.g. fluorine and chlorine) elements.  These form all sorts of toxins for living things; heavy metals cause disruption of cellular enzymes, poly-vinyl-chlorides and chloro-fluoro-carbons are intense halogen based chemical toxins.

I am absolutely positive that the Organic Materials Review Institute and organic growers in general would NEVER tolerate using any carbonized materials made from petroleum products to ever be put onto any agricultural land.  Already, these groups protest petroleum-based industrially made fertilizers for the same reasons.  Carbonized plastics would constitute out right poisons to them.  I think I am some what surprised that you would not know this? ... Your organization is called the "Green Waste Recycle Yard".  I do not know this, but I'd bet that OMRI would not even be willing to accept raw or carbonized green yard waste as a soil amendment, if it was not known that these materials were never treated with petroleum-based industrial fertilizers.

Using any carbonaceous material to make biochar that is used on agricultural land, which is cropped for food production for animals or humans would necessarily require these sources to be strictly plant materials.  Petroleum based plastics would be a big no-no, I would think.  Even non food cropped land does not need to be covered with heavy metals nor halogens, lest water tables below them or ecosystems on them are contaminated.

Plastics would be better used to make recycled plastic products.

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Green Waste Recycle Yard<mailto:info at GreenWasteRecycleYard.com> 
  To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 12:28 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] plastic "char" TP


  Check out the plastic conversion work of Alka Zadgaonkar: http://www.goodnewsindia.com/index.php/Magazine/story/alkaZ/<http://www.goodnewsindia.com/index.php/Magazine/story/alkaZ/>

  I'm not sure whether the "coke" product in the article is analogous to the char from biomass pyrolysis.

  Bernie



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org> [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of jim mason
  Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 6:34 PM
  To: Bernie Lenhoff
  Subject: [Terrapreta] plastic "char" TP



  has anyone done any tests as to whether HC only plastics can be reduced to a char with relevant porosity for TP? _______________________________________________
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