Bio-char from dead Posidonia oceanica residues as adsorbent towards toxic metal ions

Recently, the pyrolysis of biomass from different algal species and from the Mediterranean sea plant Posidonia oceanica have been proposed for renewable fuel production with a maximum oil yield of 54.97% at 500°C, and high heating values of 24-32 MJ kg-1[1,2]. The pyrolysis produces a large amount of bio-char and the accumulation of this byproduct may cause solid waste pollution problems. Although the composition and properties of bio-char depend on the raw material and on the carbonization process, it is on average composed of amorphous carbon with a highly functionalized surface, which makes it reactive towards inorganic and organic compounds [3]. Considering the reactivity of bio-char, t…