The guide is intended to assist field personnel who must identify, describe, and interpret site and soil characteristics of hazardous waste sites where metals contamination is suspected or known. The guide provides a general discussion (Section 2) of the elements of a background review and an on-site examination of site and soil characteristics essential to meeting the needs of these different data uses. This is followed by a catalogue of individual site (Section 3) and soil (Section 4) characteristics (e.g., climate and weather, texture and structure, hydraulic conductivity, slope, soil microorganisms) that should be investigated during site characterization. For each entry, the guide describes possible conditions of the characteristic (e.g., high, moderate, or low; prominent, distinct, or faint) and methods for assigning these conditions. References that provide more detailed information are given for each characteristic. Extensive definitions are provided for describing contaminated sites and soils. Supplemental information with site characterization data; a soil description form; and a summary of methods useful for determination of site and soil parameters accompanies Volume 1 and is available in 'A Pocket Field Guide'.

"March 1992." "Office of Research and Development." "Exposure Assessment Research Division." "EPA/600/4-91/029." "EPA contract no.: 68-C0-0049." "EPA project officer: J. Jeffrey van Ee."