Lesson 4 - Hazardous Waste

• Hazardous waste


  Waste which include solids, sludge, liquids and containerized gases, except radioactive and infectious wastes, due to their chemical activity (reactivity) or toxicity, explosive, corrosive, or other characteristics, cause danger to health or environment, either it is stand alone or in contact with other wastes
• Categories of hazardous waste

  • Hazardous substance - material which have some commercial value because they are usable
  • Hazardous wastes - material which had been used, spilled or no longer needed
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that waste is considered as hazardous if:
• Criteria for classification of material as hazardous waste


  • Show any characteristics of hazardous waste
  • Named and listed as hazardous waste by EPA
  • A mixture containing a listed hazardous waste and a non-hazardous solid waste
  • A mixture containing a listed or characteristics hazardous waste and special nuclear material
  • A waste residue generated from treatment, storage or disposal of a listed hazardous waste (known as derived-from waste)
• Toxic waste


  Waste material, often in the chemical form that can cause death or injury to living creatures when it is improperly managed. It is usually produced during industrial, chemical and biological processes
• Characteristics of toxic waste

  • Poisonous
  • Radioactive
  • Flammable
  • Explosive
  • Corrosive
  • Carcinogenic
  • Mutagenic
  • Tetratogenic
  • Bioaccumulative
• Examples of toxic wastes

  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
  • Dioxins
  • Heavy metals
  • Radioactive waste
• The term 'hazardous waste' had been used


  Early 1970s
• The US government was the first to initiate legislation to regulate hazardous waste
• Hazardous waste became leading environmental issue to the society


  Early 1980s
• The enforcement of hazardous waste management regulations in the Philippines began with the passage of the Philippine Republic Act No. 6969, also known as the "Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990."
• Republic Act No. 6969 established guidelines for the identification, labeling, handling, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes. It also mandated the creation of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to oversee and enforce these regulations.
• Since the enactment of RA 6969, the Philippines has implemented various measures to strengthen hazardous waste management practices, including the adoption of implementing rules and regulations, capacity-building initiatives, and enforcement activities to ensure compliance with the law.
• Hazardous waste generation


  Hazardous waste originate from a range of industrial, commercial, households, agricultural and institutional activities and from both manufacturing and non-manufacturing facilities and processes. After generated, the generator can manage the waste either 'on-site' or 'off-site' for treatment, disposal or recycling.
• Characteristics of hazardous waste

  • Ignitability
  • Corrosibility
  • Reactivity
  • Toxicity
• Ignitability


  Materials or wastes that are easily combustible or flammable and may cause fires during transport, storage or disposal
• Examples of ignitable wastes

  • Solvents
  • Paint wastes
  • Gasoline
• Wastes considered as ignitable

  • A liquid, except aqueous solution, containing less than 24 % alcohol and flash point less than 60 degrees celcius
  • Non liquid that capable of having spontaneous combustion at normal condition
  • An ignitable compressed gas
  • An oxidizer
• Corrosivity


  Waste that reacts dangerously with other waste, dissolves or corrodes metal or other material or has a very high/low pH
• Examples of corrosive wastes


  • An aqueous material which has pH lower or equal to 2 or pH 12.5 and above
  • Liquid that corrodes steel at a fast rate
• Reactivity


  Waste which is unstable and has rapid chemical reaction with water or other material
• Examples of reactive wastesCyanide plating wastes
• Toxicity


  Waste which is harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed or leached toxic chemical into soil or groundwater when it is disposed off
• To identify the wastes which are listed under toxicity characteristics, US EPA had regulated a standard method called 'Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure'.
• TCLP or Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure


  A chemical analysis process used to determine whether there are hazardous elements present in a waste. The test involves a simulation of leaching through a landfill and can provide a rating that can prove if the waste is dangerous to the environment or not.
• Before that, the term hazardous waste was usually referred to special industrial waste or chemical waste.
• Beginning early 1980s, hazardous waste became leading environmental issue to the society.
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) 


  non-flammable insulting material used by big electrical network.
• Dioxins


  produced by burning chlorine-containing substances.
• Heavy metals


  widely used in cadmium and nickel-plating industries. Also, can be found in batteries and leaded gasoline.
• Radioactive waste


  by product from nuclear power generation. Also found in medical applications such as in cancer therapy.
• Examples of reactive wastes

  Cyanide plating wastes