Second International Conference on Waste Management and Technology

July 18-19, 2007

Hazardous Waste
Management,
Treatment and Disposal
Timothy G. Townsend, PhD, PE
Professor
Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences
University of Florida

Hazardous Waste
Historical problem of hazardous wastes
Regulatory definition of hazardous waste
Hazardous waste management system
Generators
Transporters
Treatment and Disposal

Future challenges

Nebel (1989)

Brown (1980)

Resource Conservation and Recover

Act
The RCRA was
passed in 1976.
Provided framework
for developing
regulations for solid
and hazardous waste
in the US.

Defining Hazardous Waste

Waste Materials

Solid Waste

Hazardous Waste

Solid waste as defined by RCRA:

Garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment
plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution
control facility and other discarded material,
Solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous
material
From industrial, commercial, mining, and
agricultural operations, and from community
activities
Excluded:
Solids in domestic sewage
Solids in irrigation return flows
Otherwise regulated discharges to water
Radioactive waste

Examples of Solid Waste

Sources

Municipal Waste

Treatment Sludges

Vegetative Waste

Building Debris

Mining Waste

Industrial Waste

Hazardous waste
Broadly defined as solid wastes that
because of their physical and/or chemical
characteristics pose a risk to human health
and the environment such that they merit
special management
Two broad categories:
Listed hazardous waste
Characteristic hazardous waste

Some solid wastes are excluded

from being hazardous
Example: household wastes

Listed Waste
F - Waste from nonspecific sources
Examples:
Spent solvent wastes
Electroplating wastes

K - Waste from specific

sources
Examples:
Wood Preservation
Organic Chemical
Manufacturing

P, U Commercial Chemical
Products

Wood Preservation Facility

Corrosivity Characteristic Hazardous

Waste
Wastes that are acidic
or alkaline and can
readily corrode or
dissolve flesh, metal,
or other materials.

Ignitability Characteristic Hazardous

Waste
Wastes that can
readily catch fire and
sustain combustion.
Ignitability is not
supposed to include
all wastes that burn.

Reactivity Characteristic Hazardous

Waste
Wastes that readily
explode or undergo
violent reactions.

Toxicity Characteristic Hazardous

Waste
Determined using the Toxicity
Characteristic Leaching
Procedure (TCLP).
Only leachable concentration of
pollutant is analyzed.
In summary, a solid waste is
leached in an acid solution for 18
hours and the resulting leachate
is analyzed. If the concentration
of certain pollutants in the
leachate exceeds a standard in
the rules, it is a TC hazardous
waste (unless otherwise
exempted).

Solid Waste

Filter Solids
from Leachate

Size Reduce to
Less Than 1 cm

Leach 100 g for 18

hours at 30 RPM

Analyze Leachate

X mg/L

TCLP Concentrations are

Compared to RCRA TC List
If the concentration of
certain pollutants
exceed the TC limit,
the solid waste is a
hazardous waste.
Note: There are also
several organic
compounds on the TC
compound list as well.

Metal
Arsenic

Concentration
(mg/L)
5.0

Barium

100.0

Cadmium

1.0

Chromium

5.0

Lead

5.0

Mercury

0.2

Selenium

1.0

Silver

5.0

US Hazardous Wastes in
2005
Both
28%

Characteristic
56%

Listed
16%

Characteristic = 21.5 million tons

Listed = 6.1 million tons
Both = 10.6 million tons
Source: The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 2005 D

Characteristic-Only Hazardous Wastes in 2005

Ignitable
2.8%
Corrosive
14.6%

Reactive
0.4%

TC Inorgaincs
10.6%

Multiple
46.7%

Multiple: Waste having more

than one characteristics

TC Orgaincs
24.9%

Characteristic = 21.5 million tons

Source: The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 2005 Data)

Listed Hazardous Wastes in 2005

Multiple
31%

Toxic and other

characteristics
2%

Waste from non

specific source
20%

Waste from specific

source
44%

Acutely hazardous Toxic and Reactive

3%

Listed = 6.1 million tons

Source: The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 2005 Data)

Hazardous Waste Types

Others
18%
Iron and Steel Mills
and Ferroalloy
Manufacturing
4%
Waste Treatment
and Disposal
5%
Resin, Synthetic
Rubber and Fibers
and Filaments
Manufacturing
5%

Basic Chemical
Manufacturing
55%

Petroleum and Coal

Products
Manufacturing
13%

Source: The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 2005 Data)

Management of Hazardous
Waste
RCRA hazardous waste
management system is
designed to be cradle to
the grave.
The waste generator
must determine if waste
is hazardous and that it is
managed appropriately.
A chain of paperwork
called a manifest is used
to track the waste from
generation to final
disposal.

Typical Generator Requirements

Proper storage and labeling

Manifest system
Safety plans
Reporting Requirements

Types of Hazardous Waste Generators

Large Quantity Generators (LQGs)
> 1000 kg of hazardous waste per month or > 1 kg of
acutely hazardous waste per month

Small Quantity Generators (SQGs)

Facilities that generate > 100 kg but < 1000 kg of
hazardous waste per month

Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators

(CESQGs)
< 100 kg of Hazardous waste per month and < 1 kg of
acutely hazardous waste per month

Hazardous Waste Transportation

Transporters must follow
strict requirements for
transporting hazardous
materials.
Transporters participate in
manifest system.
Vehicles must be properly
marked.
Transporter can not make
decisions on where to
deliver waste.

Treatment and Disposal

Hazardous waste must first be treated prior to final

disposal
Treatment methods

Final Disposition

Examples

Examples

Thermal treatment
(incineration)
Chemical treatment
(e.g., solidification and
stabilization)
Biological treatment
Encapsulation
Others

Landfills
Surface
impoundments
Deep well injection

Waste Treatment

Thermal Treatment

Rotary kiln incinerator

Proper air pollution control technologies must be
applied for emission to the atmosphere

Physical/Chemical Treatment

Reduce the mobility of

the chemicals through a
chemical reaction
Reduce the mobility of
the chemicals through
Physical encapsulation

Example: pH impact on lead mobility

105
Concentration corresponding to 100% lecahing
4

10

Lead Concentration (mg/L)

Many different
processes are used to
solidify or stabilize a
hazardous waste prior
to disposal in a landfill.
Goals:

103
102
101
100
10-1
10-2
0

10

Final pH of the Extraction Solution

12

Hazardous Waste Landfill

Hazardous Waste Liner

Requirements
Double Liner
2 ft drainage material
Designed to maintain
less than 1ft head on liner
HDPE Geomembrane
Geonet
HDPE Geomembrane

3 ft compacted soil
K <= 10-7 cm/sec

Landfill Double Liner Construction

Final Disposition of RCRA Hazardous Waste

(by Management Method)
Other treatments
22%

Deepwell or
underground injection
49%

Energy recovery
4%
Landfill/surface
impoundment
5%

Disposal
8%
Other treatments: Incineration,
metals recovery, fuel blending,
sludge treatment, stabilization,
land treatment/application, etc

Aqueous treatment
12%

Total managed waste =43.9 m tons

Source: The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 2005 Data)

Quantity of RCRA Hazardous Waste Managed, by

Management Method, only waste received from out side
Landfill/surface
impoundment
17%

Other treatments
21%

Metals recovery
14%

Storage and/or
transfer
7%

Incineration
6%

Energy recovery
12%

Other disposal
11%
Other treatments: Stabilization, deepwell or
underground injection, aqueous treatment,
solvents recovery, sludge treatment,
land treatment/application etc.

Fuel blending
12%

Total managed waste =8.5 m tons

Source: The National Biennial RCRA Hazardous Waste Report (Based on 2005 Data)

Universal Waste System

Designed to ease the
burden on generators,
transporters, and
recyclers of certain
high volume
hazardous wastes that
are easily recyclable.
Types:
Certain pesticides
Mercury lamps
Mercury switches
Certain batteries

Hg Thermostat

Hg Lamps

Batteries

Household Hazardous Waste

Examples of HHW:
Paint and paint related
products
Pesticides
Pool chemicals
Drain cleaners
Nail polish/remover
Furniture refinishers
Glass cleaners
Insect repellent
Car care chemicals

Other Waste Types

Asbestos

Some types of
waste are clearly
hazardous in
nature, but are not
governed under
RCRA
Asbestos
PCBs

PCB Capacitor

PCB Ballast

Challenges
Promoting recycling of hazardous waste
without increasing harm to human health
and the environment
Ensuring that hazardous wastes are not
dumped on other countries

Challenges
Determining the
appropriate use of the
TCLP.
The TCLP can at
times both
underestimate and
overestimate the
leaching that will
actually occur in a
landfill.

Iron-based Water Treatment Sludge

Lead-containing Electronic Devices

Leach Leaching using TCLP and Landfill Leachate

1000.0
TCLP

MSW Leachate

Lead (mg/L)

100.0

10.0

1.0

0.1

n = 12

CRT Glass

n = 12

PWBs

n=9

Cell Phones

Waste Lift
Waste Lift
Waste Lift
Cell Phones and
Ni-Cd Batteries
Keyboard
and Mouse
Monitor
CPU
Smoke Detectors
Waste Lift
A University of Florida study is
looking at electronic device
leaching in landfills.

Waste Lift
River Rock

Contact Information:
ttown@ufl.edu
www.ees.ufl.edu