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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EPA/600/S4-87/025
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