It is well known that some kinds of waste contain persistent organic p
ollutants (POPs) such as PCDD/DFs and PCBs. Leaching behaviors of thes
e chemicals, however, have not been focused so much because of their l
ow leachability. On the other hand, shredder residues originated from
automobiles and electric appliances consist mainly of plastics, such a
s PVC, which contain additives including DEHP. In this study, contents
analyses and leaching tests with and without surfactant-like substanc
es for shredder residues were conducted. As a result, shredder residue
s from automobile and electric appliance contained PCBs in ppm level a
nd a quantity of PCDD/DFs. Surfactant-like substances increase the lea
ching concentration of POPs. DEHP also leached out considerably even t
hough using distilled water. (C)1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights
reserved.