v'/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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Municipal Environmental Research C
Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA-600/S2-82-049 July 1982
Project Summary
Toxicity of Leachates:
Comparison of Extraction
Procedure Extracts and
Landfill Leachates
D. K. Brown, C. W. Francis, M. P. Maskarinec, and F. W. Larimer
Six landfill sites receiving a variety of
industrial and municipal solid wastes with
suspected biohazards were sampled. The
landflH solid waste samples were ex-
tracted using the extraction procedure
(EP) promulgated under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
of 1976. The EP concentrations of the
elements and compounds listed in the
National Interim Primary Drinking Water
Regulations (NIPDWR) were compared
with those found In groundwater, sur-
face runoff, or sump leachates collected
at the various landfills.
Five of the six landfills were found to
contain at least one toxic element in ex-
cess of the NIPDWR concentrations for
either the EP extract or landfill leachate.
The only elements found in concentra-
tions exceeding the NIPDWR were As,
Ba, and Cr. None of the samples con-
tained the pesticides or herbicides in the
NIPDWR. Only one site was found to
contain an element in excess of the regu-
lation concentrations for both the EP ex-
tract and leachate. Three of the sites
showed higher concentrations in the EP
than that in the landfill leachate.
Numerous factors likely account for
the relationships found between the
concentrations in the EP extract and the
landfill leachate; namely, differences in
the character of the groundwater hydro-
logic conditions, pH of the leaching solu-
tion, age of the waste, chemical character
of the toxic elements, type of landfill.
and the ability of the different geologic
materials to attenuate toxic element
transport.
This Protect Summary was developed
by EPA's Municipal Environmental Re-
search Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, to
announce key findings of the research
project that is fully documented In a sep-
arate report of the same title.
This report summarizes the results of
the supplemental work for "Toxicity of
Leachates" (EPA-600/2-80-057, avail-
able from NTIS as PB 80-179328
(A07)). This supplemental report was
submitted in fulfillment of Interagency
Agreements EPA-IAG-78-DX-0372 and
DOE 40-646-77 by the Oak Ridge Na-
tional Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, under
the sponsorship of the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency.
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D. K. Brown. C. W. Francis, M. P. Maskarinec. andF. W. Larimer are with the Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, JN 37830.
D. E. Banning is the EPA Project Officer (see below}.
The complete report, entitled "Toxicity ofLeachates: Comparison of Extraction
Procedure Extracts and Landfill Leachates," (Order No. ORNL/TM-7563;Cost
$7.50, subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield. VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati. OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
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Agency
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