xvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste
Washington, DC 20460
January 1989
EPA/530-SW-89-015C
Office of Solid Waste
Characterization of
Products Containing
Lead and Cadmium
in Municipal Solid
Waste in the
United States,
1970 to 2000
Final Report
Executive Summary
Original editions of this document are printed on recycled
paper with ink free of lead and cadmium.
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SEPA
Characterization of
Products Containing
Lead and Cadmium
in Municipal Solid
Waste in the
United States,
1970 to 2000
Final Report
Executive Summary
Prepared for
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Municipal Solid Waste Program
by Franklin Associates, Ltd.
Prairie Village, Kansas
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) has become an issue of
increasing importance in the United States, combustion of wastes has been
recognized as one of several alternative management approaches. A concern
associated with municipal waste combustion, however, is that heavy metals
(lead and cadmium in particular) have been found in analytical tests of the
ash from these facilities. This report characterizes the sources of lead and
cadmium in products disposed in MSW over the time period 1970 to 1986, with
projections to the year 2000.
LEAD IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Lead is widespread in the municipal waste stream; it is in both
the combustible and noncombustible portions of MSW. Discards of lead in MSW
are overwhelmingly greater than discards of cadmium (Figure 1).
Lead-acid batteries (primarily batteries for automobiles) rank
first, by a wide margin, of the products containing lead that enter the waste
stream. Trends in quantities of lead discarded in products in MSW (ranked by
tonnage discarded in 1986) are shown in Table 1. The last two columns on the
table indicate whether the total tonnage of lead in a product is generally
increasing or decreasing, and whether the percentage of total MSW lead
contained in a product is increasing or decreasing.
Changing trends in discards of lead are illustrated in Figure 2.
Lead discards in batteries are shown to be growing steadily, as are discards
in consumer electronics. Discards of leaded solder in cans and lead in
pigments, however, virtually "disappear" from the graphic between 1970 and
1986. Lead discards in other products are shown to be relatively small.
Findings about the individual products in MSW that contain lead
are;
* Lead-acid Batteries contributed 65 percent of the lead in MSW in
1986; this percentage has ranged between 50 and 85 percent during the 1970 to
1986 period studied. The tonnages in Table 1 represent discards after
recycling, but of all the products considered, only lead-acid batteries are
recycled to a significant extent. Recycling rates, which have ranged from 52
to 80 percent, have a major effect on the tonnage of lead-acid batteries
discarded.
* Consumer Electronics (television sets, radios, and video
cassette recorders) accounted for 27 percent of, lead discards in MSW in 1986.
They contribute lead from soldered circuit boards, leaded glass in television
sets, and plated steel chassis. Leaded glass accounts for most of the lead in
these products.
* Glass and Ceramics, as reported here, include lead in products
such as glass containers, tableware and cookware, and other items such as
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Figure 1. Relative discards of lead and cadmium in MSW, 1986.
Cadmium 1,788 tons
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Table 1
LEAD IN PRODUCTS DISCARDED IN MSW. 1970 TO 2000
(In short tons)
Products 1970
1986
2000
Plastics 1,613
Soldered
cans
24,117 2,052
Pigments 27,020 1,131
Tonnage
Lead-acid
batteries 83,825 138,043 181,546 Increasing
Consumer
electronics 12,233 58,536 85,032 Increasing
Glass and
ceramics 3,465 7,956 8,910 Increasing
3,577 3,228 Increasing;
decreasing
after 1986
787 Decreasing
682 Decreasing
All others 12.567 2.537 1.701 Decreasing
Totals 164,840 213,652 281,887
Percentage
Variable
Increasing
Increasing; stable
after 1986
Fairly stable
Decreasing
Decreasing
Decreasing
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Year
2000.,
1986
1970
Figure 2. Lead in discards of products in MSW, 1970, 1986, anc
2000.
50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000
Tons
LED All others 0 Pigments D Cans f§3 Plastics
El Glass H Electronics E3 Batteries
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optical glass. These contributed 4 percent of lead discards in 1986. (Leaded
glass in light bulbs is included in the "All Other" category in Table 1.)
* Plastics use lead in two ways: As a heat stabilizer (primarily
in polyvinyl chloride resins) and as a component of pigments in many resins.
This category, which includes products such as nonfood packaging, clothing and
footwear, housewares, records, furniture, appliances, and other miscellaneous
products, accounted for about 2 percent of lead discards in 1986. Plastics in
consumer electronics products are counted under that category.
* Soldered Cans have experienced a large decline in usage since
1970, when they contributed 14 percent of the lead in MSW. Leaded solder is
currently used in steel food cans, general purpose cans (like aerosols), and
shipping containers.
* Pigments containing lead compounds have declined greatly since
1970, dropping from 18 percent of total lead discards to less than one
percent. This category includes pigments used in paints, printing inks,
textile dyes, etc. Pigments used in plastics, glass and ceramics, and rubber
products are accounted for in those categories.
* All Others include brass and bronze products, light bulbs (which
contain lead in solder and in glass), rubber products, used oil, collapsible
tubes, and lead foil wine bottle wrappers. Collapsible tubes contributed over
5 percent of total lead discards in 1970, but their use has declined
dramatically since then. None of the other items has exceeded one percent of
the total since 1970.
CADMIUM IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Like lead, cadmium is widespread in products discarded into MSW,
although it occurs in much smaller quantities overall. Since 1980, nickel-
cadmium household batteries have been the Number 1 contributor of cadmium in
MSW.
Trends in quantities of cadmium discarded in products in MSW
(ranked by tonnage discarded in 1986) are shown in Table 2.
Trends in discards of cadmium in products in MSW are illustrated
in Figure 3. Discards of cadmium in household batteries were small in 1970,
but then increased dramatically. Cadmium discards in plastics are relatively
stable. Discards of cadmium in consumer electronics are shown to decrease over
time, while the .other categories are relatively small.
Findings about cadmium discards in individual products in MSW are:
* Household Batteries (rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries) have
accounted for more than half of cadmium discards in the U.S. since 1980. This
growth is projected to continue unless they are replaced by another type of
battery.
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Figure 3. Cadmium in discards of products in MSW, 1970, 1986,
and 2000.
Year
2000
1986
1S70.
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
All others D Pigments E2 Appliances
Electronics El Plastics H Batteries
3,000
Tons
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* Plastics continue to be an important source of cadmium in MSW,
contributing 28 percent of discards in 1986. Cadmium is used in stabilizers
in polyvinyl chloride resins and "in pigments in a wide variety of plastic
resins. Cadmium is found in nonfood packaging, footwear, housewares, records,
furniture, and other plastic products.
Table 2
s
CADMIUM IN PRODUCTS DISCARDED IN MSW. 1970 TO 2000
(In short tons)
Products
Household
batteries
Plastics
Consumer
electronics
Appliances
Pigments
Glass and
ceramics
All others
Totals
1986
2000
53
342
571
107
79
32
930 2,035
502 380
Tonnage
Increasing
Variable
161
88
70
29
67 Decreasing
57 Decreasing
93 Variable
37
Variable
12 8 11 Variable
1,196 1,788 2,684
Percentage
Increasing
Variable;
decreasing after
1986
Decreasing
Decreasing
Variable
Variable
Variable
* Consumer Electronics (television sets and radios) formerly had
cadmium-plated steel chassis in many cases. These chassis have been replaced
by circuit boards, so cadmium discards in consumer electronics are declining
as the older units are replaced. They contributed 9 percent of the total in
1986.
* Appliances (dishwashers and washing machines) formerly had
cadmium-plated parts to resist corrosion. This source of cadmium is declining
as cadmium-plated parts are replaced by plastics, which are themselves another
source of cadmium discards in appliances. Cadmium discards from appliances
accounted for about 5 percent of total in 1986.
* Pigments used in printing inks, textile dyes, and paints may
contain cadmium compounds, although this is not a large source of cadmium in
MSW (about 4 percent of total).
* Glass and Ceramics may contain cadmium as a pigment, as a glaze,
or as a phosphor. This is a relatively small source of cadmium in MSW.
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* All other sources of cadmium include rubber products, used oil,
and electric blankejts_a_nd_heajtinK pads, Theae_contjrifeilte. ye.ry jsmaJL 1 amounts___o_f_
* This characterization identifies the sources of lead and cadmium
in MSW; it does not tell us whether these are the major sources of leachable
lead and cadmium in MWC ash.
* The MSW characterization presented here may not correlate well
with the waste input at any particular MWC facility.
* The identified compounds of lead and cadmium may recombine with
other materials in the combustion chamber to form new compounds; this issue is
beyond the scope of this study.
* In addition to MSW, other nonhazardous wastes contain lead and
cadmium; these wastes may in some instances be incinerated along with MSW.
These wastes, which were identified but not characterized in this study,
include: municipal sludge, construction and demolition wastes, industrial and
military wastes, and automotive and other transportation equipment wastes.
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