This report describes hazardous waste generation and management in the electronic components manufacturing industry, defined as those plants whose primary products are components intended for assembly into electronic equipment. The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) of the industry is 367. Twenty-three plant surveys showed that product and manufacturing process diversity within the industry precludes satisfactory correlation of these factors with waste types. Based upon the plant survey data, land-disposed wastes of the industry fall into ten waste categories including five categories which are both land-disposed in quantifiable amounts and contain hazardous materials (halogenated solvents, non-halogenated solvents, wastewater treatment sludges, painting wastes, and hydraulic and lubricating oils), and five categories which included either unquantifiable amounts of hazardous materials, no hazardous materials or were not typically land-filled (metal scrap, concentrated cyanides, concentrated acids and alkalies, plastic wastes, and miscellaneous). Isolated occurrences of berylium- and PCB-containing wastes were recognized. Hazardous properties of the industry's land-disposed wastes include flammability, corrosivity/dermal irritation, oral toxicity, and bioconcentration. Constituents of the wastes which had these properties were non-halogenated solvents, various heavy metals, fluorides, and oils. The estimated total quantity of potentially hazardous wastes land-disposed by the industry in 1975 was 49,500 kkg (54,500 tons) on a wet weight basis of which more than half was wastewater treatment sludges. With the exceptions of some halogenated and non-halogenated solvents which are segregated and reclaimed and of occasional on-site disposal of oils and wastewater treatment sludges, most potentially hazardous wastes (87 percent) generated by surveyed plants were ultimately land-disposed off-site by private contractors. The best technology currently applied and the technology required to provide environmentally adequate treatment for each waste stream and attendant costs are discussed.

Prepared by Wapora, Inc., Washington, D.C. under [contract no. 68-01-3193]. Includes appendixes. "BB-265 532." Includes bibliographical references (pages 142-144).