You are here:
COMPARISON OF FOUR LEACHATE-GENERATION PROCEDURES FOR SOLID WASTE CHARACTERIZATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS
Citation:
Bause, D. AND K. McGregor. COMPARISON OF FOUR LEACHATE-GENERATION PROCEDURES FOR SOLID WASTE CHARACTERIZATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-80/118.
Description:
The report gives results of an evaluation of four leachate-generating procedures in terms of their general applicability, reproducibility, compatibility with environmental assessment methods, and leaching characteristics. The generated leachates were analyzed for nine metals by atomic absorption, and for F(-), Cl(-), and SO4(--) by ion chromatography. Seven energy process wastes (oil shale, FBC waste, two flyashes, boiler slag, scrubber sludge, and hopper ash) were extracted to evaluate the general applicability of the leachate tests. The ASTM methods had the best reproducibility, and the EP method, the poorest. The EP and CAE procedures leached the largest quantities of trace metals from the wastes. However, based on the total metal concentraion in the sample, the leachate methods generally extracted < 1%. The EP and ASTM-B methods caused some problems with flameless AA analyses. Based on the RCRA criteria, five of the energy wastes would be classified as hazardous by at least one leachate procedure. Se usually exceeded the threshold value for the leachate. Based on this study, the ASTM-A and CAE procedures are preferred for leachate generation. Regardless of the leachate-generating method selected for waste characterization, the experimental procedure must be defined more precisely with respect to preparation, preservation, and other aspects.