Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.[1]

Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are known or tested to exhibit one or more of the following
hazardous traits:

Ignitability
Reactivity
Corrosivity
Toxicity
Listed hazardous wastes are materials specifically listed by regulatory authorities as hazardous wastes which are
from non-specific sources, specific sources, or discarded chemical products.[2]
Hazardous wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. A hazardous waste is a special
type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on the
physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be required.

Contents
Worldwide
Regulatory history
In the United States
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

Hazardous waste in the U.S.

Hazardous Waste Mapping Systems
Universal wastes
Household hazardous waste
Disposal of hazardous waste
Recycling
Portland cement
Incineration, destruction and waste-to-energy
Hazardous waste landfill (sequestering, isolation, etc.)
Pyrolysis
See also
References
External links

Worldwide
Worldwide, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimated that more than 400 million tons of hazardous wastes
are produced universally each year, mostly by industrialized countries (schmit, 1999). About 1 percent of this is shipped across
international boundaries, with the majority of the transfers occurring between countries in the Organization for the Economic
Cooperation and Development(OECD) (Krueger, 1999).[3] One of the reasons for industrialized countries to ship the hazardous
waste to industrializing countries for disposal is the rising cost of disposing of hazardous waste in the home country.[3]
Regulatory history

In the United States

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Hazardous wastes are wastes with properties that make them dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the
environment. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, contained gases, or sludges. They can be by-products of manufacturing
processes or simply discarded commercial products, like cleaning fluids or pesticides. In regulatory terms, RCRA hazardous
wastes are wastes that appear on one of the four hazardous wastes lists (F-list, K-list, P-list, or U-list), or exhibit at least one of
the following four characteristics; ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. in the US, Hazardous wastes are regulated under
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Subtitle C[4].

By definition, EPA determined that some specific wastes are hazardous. These wastes are incorporated into lists published by the
Agency. These lists are organized into three categories: F-list (non-specific source wastes) found in the regulations at 40 CFR
261.31, K-list (source-specific wastes) found in the regulations at 40 CFR 261.32, and P-list and the U-list (discarded commercial
chemical products) found in the regulations at 40 CFR 261.33.

RCRA's record keeping system helps to track the life cycle of hazardous waste and reduces the amount of hazardous waste
illegally disposed.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

The [Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act] (CERCLA), was enacted in 1980. The primary
contribution of CERCLA was to create a "Superfund" and provide for the clean-up and remediation of closed and abandoned
hazardous waste sites. CERCLA addresses historic releases of hazardous materials, but does not specifically manage hazardous
wastes.

Hazardous waste in the U.S.

In the United States, the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste are regulated under the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA). Hazardous wastes are defined under RCRA in 40 CFR 261 where they are divided into two major
categories: characteristic wastes and listed wastes.[5]

The requirements of the RCRA apply to all the companies that generate hazardous waste as well as those companies that store or
dispose hazardous waste in the United States. Many types of businesses generate hazardous waste. dry cleaners, automobile
repair shops, hospitals, exterminators, and photo processing centers may all generate hazardous waste. Some hazardous waste
generators are larger companies such as chemical manufacturers, electroplating companies, and oil refineries.

A U.S. facility that treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste must obtain a permit for doing so under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act. Generators and transporters of hazardous waste must meet specific requirements for handling,
managing, and tracking waste. Through the RCRA, Congress directed the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to create regulations to manage hazardous waste. Under this mandate, the EPA developed strict requirements for all aspects of
hazardous waste management including the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. In addition to these federal
requirements, states may develop more stringent requirements that are broader in scope than the federal regulations. Furthermore,
RCRA allows states to develop regulatory programs that are at least as stringent as RCRA and, after review by EPA, the states
may take over responsibility for the implementation of the requirements under RCRA. Most states take advantage of this
authority, implementing their own hazardous waste programs that are at least as stringent, and in some cases are more stringent
than the federal program.

Hazardous Waste Mapping Systems

The U.S. government provides several tools for mapping hazardous wastes to particular locations. These tools also allow the user
to view additional information.

TOXMAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) service from the Division of Specialized Information
Services (http://sis.nlm.nih.gov) of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) that uses maps of the
United States to help users visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) Toxics Release Inventory and Superfund Basic Research Program. This is a resource funded by the US
Federal Government. TOXMAP's chemical and environmental health information is taken from NLM's Toxicology
Data Network (TOXNET) (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov), PubMed, and other authoritative sources.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "Where You Live" [1] (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/wh
ere.htm) allows users to select a region from a map to find information about Superfund sites in that region.

Universal wastes
Universal wastes are a special category of hazardous wastes that (in the U.S.):

generally pose a lower threat relative to other hazardous wastes are ubiquitous and produced in very large
quantities by a large number of generators.
Some of the most common "universal wastes" are: fluorescent light bulbs, some specialty batteries (e.g. lithium or lead containing
batteries), cathode ray tubes, and mercury-containing devices.

Universal wastes are subject to somewhat less stringent regulatory requirements. Small quantity generators of universal wastes
may be classified as "conditionally exempt small quantity generators" (CESQGs) which release them from some of the regulatory
requirements for the handling and storage hazardous wastes.

Universal wastes must still be disposed of properly. (For more information, see Overview of Requirements for Conditionally
Exempt Small Quantity Generators (http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/generation/sqg/handbook/cesqg.pdf))

Household hazardous waste

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), also referred to as domestic hazardous waste or home generated special materials, is a
waste that is generated from residential households. HHW only applies to waste coming from the use of materials that are labeled
for and sold for "home use". Waste generated by a company or at an industrial setting is not HHW.

The following list includes categories often applied to HHW. It is important to note that many of these categories overlap and that
many household wastes can fall into multiple categories:

Paints and solvents

Automotive wastes (used motor oil, antifreeze, etc.)
Pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.)
Mercury-containing wastes (thermometers, switches, fluorescent lighting, etc.)
Electronics (computers, televisions, cell phones)
Aerosols / Propane cylinders
Caustics / Cleaning agents
Refrigerant-containing appliances
Some specialty batteries (e.g. lithium, nickel cadmium, or button cell batteries)
Ammunition
 Asbestos
Car batteries
Radioactive wastes (some home smoke detectors are classified as radioactive waste because they contain very
small amounts of radioactive isotope americium - see: Disposing of Smoke Detectors (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20070414142357/http://www.mcmua.com/HazardousWaste/FAQ_Smoke_Detectors.htm)).

Disposal of hazardous waste

Historically, some hazardous wastes were disposed of in regular landfills. This resulted in unfavorable amounts of hazardous
materials seeping into the ground. These chemicals eventually entered to natural hydrologic systems. Many landfills now require
countermeasures against groundwater contamination. For example, a barrier has to be installed along the foundation of the
landfill to contain the hazardous substances that may remain in the disposed waste.[6] Currently, hazardous wastes must often be
stabilized and solidified in order to enter a landfill and must undergo different treatments in order to stabilize and dispose of them.
Most flammable materials can be recycled into industrial fuel. Some materials with hazardous constituents can be recycled, such
as lead acid batteries.

Recycling
Some hazardous wastes can be recycled into new products.[7] Examples may include lead-acid batteries or electronic circuit
boards. When heavy metals in these types of ashes go through the proper treatment, they could bind to other pollutants and
convert them into easier-to-dispose solids, or they could be used as pavement filling. Such treatments reduce the level of threat of
harmful chemicals, like fly and bottom ash, while also recycling the safe product. There is a recycling center facility in Oxnard,
CA. The city does not charge for any hazardous materials being disposed of, but there is a limit to how much you can bring per
month. Other than hazardous waste, the city also allows you to dispose of electronic waste, light-bulbs, and batteries.[8]

Portland cement
Another commonly used treatment is cement-based solidification and stabilization. Cement is used because it can treat a range of
hazardous wastes by improving physical characteristics and decreasing the toxicity and transmission of contaminants. The cement
produced is categorized into 5 different divisions, depending on its strength and components. This process of converting sludge
into cement might include the addition of pH adjustment agents, phosphates, or sulfur reagents to reduce the settling or curing
time, increase the compressive strength, or reduce the leach ability of contaminants.

Incineration, destruction and waste-to-energy

Hazardous waste may be "destroyed". For example, by incinerating them at a high temperature, flammable wastes can sometimes
be burned as energy sources. For example, many cement kilns burn hazardous wastes like used oils or solvents. Today,
incineration treatments not only reduce the amount of hazardous waste, but also generate energy from the gases released in the
process. It is known that this particular waste treatment releases toxic gases produced by the combustion of byproduct or other
materials which can affect the environment. However, current technology has developed more efficient incinerator units that
control these emissions to a point where this treatment is considered a more beneficial option. There are different types of
incinerators which vary depending on the characteristics of the waste. Starved air incineration is another method used to treat
hazardous wastes. Just like in common incineration, burning occurs, however controlling the amount of oxygen allowed proves to
be significant to reduce the amount of harmful byproducts produced. Starved air incineration is an improvement of the traditional
incinerators in terms of air pollution. Using this technology, it is possible to control the combustion rate of the waste and therefore
reduce the air pollutants produced in the process.

Hazardous waste landfill (sequestering, isolation, etc.)

Hazardous waste may be sequestered in an hazardous waste landfill or permanent disposal facility. "In terms of hazardous waste,
a landfill is defined as a disposal facility or part of a facility where hazardous waste is placed or on land and which is not a pile, a
land treatment facility, a surface impoundment, an underground injection well, a salt dome formation, a salt bed formation, an
underground mine, a cave, or a corrective action management unit (40 CFR 260.10)."[9][10]

Pyrolysis
Some hazardous waste types may be eliminated using pyrolysis in a high temperature not necessarily through electrical arc but
starved of oxygen to avoid combustion. However, when electrical arc is used to generate the required ultra heat (in excess of 3000
degree C temperature) all materials (waste) introduced into the process will melt into a molten slag and this technology is termed
Plasma not pyrolysis. Plasma technology produces inert materials and when cooled solidifies into rock like material. These
treatment methods are very expensive but may be preferable to high temperature incineration in some circumstances such as in
the destruction of concentrated organic waste types, including PCBs, pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants.[11][12]

See also
Toxic waste
Bamako Convention
Brownfield Regulation and Development
Environmental remediation
Environmental racism
Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management Association
Household Hazardous Waste
List of solid waste treatment technologies
List of Superfund sites in the United States
List of topics dealing with environmental issues
List of waste management companies
List of waste management topics
List of waste types
Mixed waste (radioactive/hazardous)
National Priorities List (in the US)
Pollution
Radioactive waste
Recycling
Retail hazardous waste
Superfund
Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure
TOXMAP
Triad (environmental science)
Vapor intrusion

References
1. "Resources Conservation and Recovery Act" (http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/lrca.html#Solid%20Wastes). US
EPA.
2. 40 CFR 261.31 through .33
3. Orloff, Kenneth, and Henry Falk. 2003. An international perspective on hazardous waste practices. International
Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 206 (4-5):291- 302.
4. Horinko, Marianne, Cathryn Courtin. “Waste Management: A Half Century of Progress.” (http://www.epaalumni.or
g/hcp/rcra.pdf) EPA Alumni Association. March 2016.
 5. 40 CFR 261
6. Chaudhary R., Rachana M., 2006. Factors affecting hazardous waste solidification/stabilization: A Review. In:
Journal of Hazardous Materials B137 pp.267–276
7. Carysforth, Carol; Neild, Mike (2002). GCSE Applied Business for Edexcel: Double Award (https://books.google.c
om/books?id=VitdgXrB7JcC&pg=PA131&dq=Many+hazardous+wastes+can+be+recycled+into+new+products&h
l=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_opiwrO7UAhWJsVQKHSoLA0YQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Many%20hazardou
s%20wastes%20can%20be%20recycled%20into%20new%20products&f=false). Heinemann.
ISBN 9780435447205.
8. “Government.” City Of Oxnard, www.oxnard.org/household-hazardous-waste/.
9. Hazardous Waste Landfills (https://www.fedcenter.gov/assistance/facilitytour/landfills/hazwaste/)
10. Land Disposal Restrictions for Hazardous Waste (https://www.epa.gov/hw/land-disposal-restrictions-hazardous-w
aste)
11. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20091005153933/http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/public
ations/chemicals/scheduled-waste/swtt/plasma.html#plascon). Archived from the original (http://www.environmen
t.gov.au/settlements/publications/chemicals/scheduled-waste/swtt/plasma.html) on 2009-10-05. Retrieved
2009-03-13.
12. "Microsoft PowerPoint - ESM of pesticide POPs part 3" (http://chm.pops.int/Portals/0/docs/Waste_Stockpiles/ES
M%20of%20pesticide%20POPs%20part%203.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved 2017-11-19.

External links
The US National Library of Medicine Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/
sis/htmlgen?HSDB)
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/)
The EPA's hazardous waste page (https://www.epa.gov/hw/)
The U.S. EPA's Hazardous Waste Cleanup Information System (https://www.clu-in.org/)
Waste Management: A Half Century of Progress (http://www.epaalumni.org/hcp/rcra.pdf), a report by the EPA
Alumni Association

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