United States
                    Environmental Protection
                    Agency
Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory
Las Vegas NV 89193-3478
                    Research and Development
EPA/600/S4-87/025 Jan. 1988
&EPA         Project Summary
                    Characterization  of  Household
                    Hazardous Waste from  Marin
                    County,  California,  and New
                    Orleans, Louisiana

                    W. L Rathje, D. C. Wilson, V. W. Lambou, and R. C. Herndon
                      There is a growing concern that cer-
                    tain constituents of common household
                    products, that are discarded in residen-
                    tial garbage, may be potentially harmful
                    to human health and the environment
                    by adversely affecting the quality of
                    ground and surface water. A survey of
                    hazardous wastes in residential garbage
                    from Marin County, California, and New
                    Orleans, Louisiana, was conducted in
                    order to determine the  amount and
                    characteristics of such wastes that are
                    entering municipal landfills. The results
                    of this  survey indicate that approxi-
                    mately 642 metric tons of hazardous
                    waste are discarded per year for the
                    New  Orleans  study area  and approxi-
                    mately 259 metric tons are discarded
                    per year for the Marin County study
                    area. Even though  the  percent of
                    hazardous household waste in the gar-
                    bage discarded in both study areas was
                    less than 1 percent, it  represents  a
                    significant quantity of hazardous waste
                    because of the large volume of garbage
                    involved. The comparison of estimates
                    for the New Orleans and Marin County
                    study areas shows that the types of
                    hazardous wastes discarded in the two
                    areas are very similar in both the rate of
                    discard  and composition, even though
                    the communities are very different in
                    socio-demographic structure.
                      This Project Summary was developed
                    by EPA's Environmental Monitoring Sys-
                    tems  Laboratory, Las Vegas, NV, to
                    announce key findings ot the research
                    project  that Is fully documented In  a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering Information at
back).

Introduction
  There is a growing concern that certain
constituents of common household pro-
ducts may be potentially harmful to
human health and the environment by
adversely affecting the quality of ground
and  surface  waters.  These household
products are often discarded in residential
garbage. The accumulation of  these
wastes in municipal landfills and other
solid waste disposal facilities regulated
under Subtitle D of the Resource Con-
servation and Recovery Act is of major
concern. A survey of hazardous wastes
in residential garbage from Marin County,
California, and New Orleans, Louisiana,
was conducted in order to determine the
amount  and  characteristics of such
wastes that are entering municipal land-
fills.  Based on measurements of house-
hold wastes discarded in the New Orleans
and Marin County study areas, it appears
that,  at least, 0.35 to 0.40 percent of the
garbage  being discarded is hazardous.
The average household in this study dis-
carded approximately 55 to 60 grams of
hazardous waste per week (not including
contaminated containers and articles such
as used  paint brushes, oily rags, etc.).
This is approximately 642 metric tons of
hazardous waste discarded per year for
the New Orleans study area and approxi-
mately 259 metric tons per year for the
Marin County study area.

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  The preliminary analysis of the data
reported here only includes the weight of
that portion  of the  waste that contains
the hazardous ingredients. Therefore, the
total weight of hazardous waste reported
in this study will represent a conservative
estimate of the actual hazardous waste
generated when compared to other EPA
studies in which contaminated container
weights, contaminated article weights,
etc., are included in the hazardous waste
estimates.
  A total of 11.4 and 15.4 metric tons of
household garbage was collected from
the New Orleans and Marin County study
areas, respectively.  Based upon an
analysis of this waste, it was estimated
that the New Orleans study area gen-
erated 17,120 grams of  household gar-
bage per household per week for a total
of 3,533,572  kilograms per week or
184,381.8 metric tons per year. Likewise,
it is estimated that the  Marin  County
study area  generated  13,990 grams of
household garbage per  household  per
week for a total of  1,240,993 kilograms
per week or 64,755.1  metric tons per
year. Even though the percent of hazar-
dous  household waste  in the  garbage
discarded in both study  areas was  less
than 1 percent, it represents a significant
quantity of  hazardous waste because of
the large volume of garbage involved.
  The two  most numerous  hazardous
waste type  groups in  both the  New
Orleans and Marin County study areas
were  batteries and electrical materials,
and selected cosmetics. It was estimated
that the batteries and electrical materials
hazardous waste type group was  dis-
carded at the  rate  of 0.1637 items per
household  per week for  a total of
1,762,949 items per year and made up
29.9 percent of the hazardous household
waste discarded in the New Orleans study
area. In the Marin County study area, this
group was discarded at the rate of 0.2834
items per household per week for a total
of 1,311,921 items per year and made up
48.8 percent of the hazardous household
waste discarded. The selected cosmetics
hazardous waste type group was  dis-
carded at the rate  of 0.1622 items per
household  per week for a total of
1,746,775 items per year and made up
29.7 percent of the  hazardous household
waste discarded in the New Orleans study
area. In the Marin County study area, this
group was discarded at the rate of 0.0999
items per household per week for a total
of 462,536 items per year and made up
17.2 percent of the hazardous household
waste discarded.
  The predominant hazardous waste type
group by weight in both the New Orleans
and Marin County study areas was the
household maintenance group.  It was
estimated that the household mainten-
ance hazardous waste  type group was
discarded at the rate of 25.8 grams per
household per week for a total of 278.4
metric tons per year and made up 43.4
percent  of the total weight of hazardous
household waste discarded  in the New
Orleans study area. In the Marin County
study area,  this group was discarded at
the rate  of 15.5 grams per household per
week for a total of 71.9 metric tons per
year and made up 27.8 percent of the
total weight of hazardous household
waste discarded. The second most pre-
dominant hazardous waste type group by
weight in the  New Orleans study area
was the automative maintenance group
which was discarded at the rate of 12.6
grams per household per week for a total
of 135.6 metric tons per year and made
up 21.2  percent of  the total weight of
hazardous household waste discarded.
However, in the Marin County study area,
the second most predominant hazardous
waste  type  group by weight was the
batteries and electrical group which was
discarded at the rate of 14.9 grams per
household per week for a total of 69.0
metric  tons per year and  made up 26.6
percent of the total weight of hazardous
household waste discarded.
  The  comparison of estimates for the
New Orleans and Marin County study
areas shows that household hazardous
waste  discarded in both  areas is very
similar in both rate of discard and com-
position, even though the communities
are very different in socio-demographic
structure. However, there were some dif-
ferences. For example, the batteries and
electrical group and the  pesticide and
yard maintenance group were discarded
at a higher weight per household in the
Marin County study area while the auto-
motive maintenance group and  the
household maintenance group were dis-
carded  at a higher weight per household
in the   New Orleans study area. The
similarity between the two communities
should   be  interpreted  with care until
further studies  are conducted  in other
communities.
   W. L.  Rathje, and D. C.  Wilson are with the University of Arizona, Tucson,
     AZ;  the EPA author V.  W. Lambou (also the EPAJ>roject Officer, see below)
     is with the Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas,  NV
     89193-3478; andR. C.  Herndon is with Florida State University, Tallahassee,
     FL
   The complete report, entitled "Characterization of Household Hazardous Waste
     from Marin County, California, and New Orleans, Louisiana," (Order No. PB
     88-102 439/AS; Cost:  $11.95, 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:
           Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
           U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
           P.O. Box93478
           Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478

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