You are here:
GUIDE TO TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR HAZARDOUS WASTES AT SUPERFUND SITES
Citation:
Campbell, B. J. GUIDE TO TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR HAZARDOUS WASTES AT SUPERFUND SITES. EPA/540/2-89/052, 1989.
Impact/Purpose:
publish information
Description:
Over the past fewyears, it has become increasinsly evident that land disposal of hazardous wastes is at least only a temporary solution for much of the wastes present at Superfund sites. The need for more Iong-term, permanent "treatment solutions as alternatives to land disposal has been stressed by recent legislation such as the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as well as the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. SARA directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish an "Alternative or Innovative Treatment Technology Research and Demonstration Program," to identify promising technologies, assist with their evaluation, and promote the use of these technologies at Superfund sites. This Guide to Treatment Technologies for Hazardous Wastes at Superfund Sites addresses alternative technologies that can be used to treat wastes at Superfund sites. This guide is designed for use by EPA Regional Offices, States, remedial contractors, and others to aid in the identification of alternative technologies that have been or are currently being developed. The alternative technologies presented in this guidebook are organized according to the method of treatment. These treatment methods comprise the following five sections of the alternative technologies table: Section I: Biological Treatment. A treatment process in which bacteria, fungi, and/or microorganisms are used to alter or destroy hazardous waste. Liquid and soil wastes that can be treated by this method may include toxic chlorinated and aromatic organic compounds. The process is highly sensitive to environmental conditions, including fluctuations in pH and temperature, and to changes in the concentrations of heavy metals and salts in the waste stream. Section II: Chemical Treatment. A treatment process in which the hazardous waste is altered by a chemical reaction in order to destroy the hazardous component. Wastes that can be treated by this method include both organic and inorganic compounds without heavy metals. Drawbacks to this method include the inhibition of the treatment process reaction by impurities in the waste and the potential generation of hazardous byproducts. Section III: Physical Treatment. A treatment process in which the hazardous waste is separated from its carrier by various physical-methods such as adsorption, distillation, filtration, etc. Physical treatment is applicable to a wide variety of wastes but further treat- ment is usually required. Section IV: Stabilization, Solidification, and Encapsulation Treatment A treatment process which isolates hazardous wastes from the surrounding environment without destroying the hazardous constituents. The treatment objective is normally achieved by mixing the waste with an inorganic compound such as fly ash, lime, clay, etc., to form a chemically and mechanically stable solid. The treated waste generally has higher strength, lower permeability, and lower leachability than the untreated waste. Stabilization/solidification/encapsulation treatment is applicable primarily to inorganic wastes containing heavy metals. Organic compounds often interfere with the setting action of the solidifying agent. There is no guarantee of the effectiveness of this method over time due to a lack of data on long-term leachability studies. This type of treatment may be feasible for use at sites with limited space or in emergency actions to alter the form of the waste to a more easily transportable form.