FINAL
BEST DEMONSTRATED AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY (BOAT)
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT FOR
VANADIUM-CONTAINING WASTES
(P119 AND P120)
Larry Rosengrant, Chief
Treatment Technology Section
Rhonda M. Craig
Project Officer
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
May 1990
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This document was prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Solid Waste, by Versar Inc. under contract No.
68-W9-0068. Mr. Larry Rosengrant, Chief, Treatment Technology Section,
Waste Treatment Branch, served as the EPA Program Manager during the
preparation of this document and the development of treatment standards
for D005 and P013 wastes. The Technical Project Officer for the waste
was Rhonda M. Craig. Mr. Steven Silverman served as Legal Advisor.
Versar personnel involved in the preparation of this document
included Mr. Jerome Strauss, Program Manager; Mr. Stephen Schwartz,
Assistant Program Manager; Mr. Ed Rissmann, Senior Physical Scientist;
Ms. Kathryn Jones, Staff Engineer; Ms. Justine Alchowiak, Quality
Assurance Officer; Ms. Martha Martin and Ms. Juliet Crumrine, Technical
Editors, and Ms. Sally Gravely, Program Sectetary.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1-1
2. INDUSTRIES AFFECTED AND WASTE CHARACTERIZATION 2-1
2.1 Industries Affected 2-1
2.1.1 Production of Inorganic Vanadium Compounds... 2-1
2.1.2 Users of Inorganic Vanadium Compounds 2-4
2.2 Waste Characterization 2-7
2.3 Determination of Waste Treatability Groups 2-7
3. APPLICABLE AND DEMONSTRATED TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES 3-1
3.1 Applicable Treatment Technologies 3-1
3.1.1 Applicable Technologies for Nonwastewaters.. 3-1
3.1.2 Applicable Technologies for Wastewaters .... 3-3
3.2 Demonstrated Treatment Technologies 3-5
3.2.1 Demonstrated Technologies for
Nonwastewaters 3-5
3.2.2 Demonstrated Technologies for Wastewaters ... 3-5
4. PERFORMANCE DATA 4-1
4.1 Performance Data for Nonwastewaters 4-2
4.2 Performance Data for Wastewaters 4-2
5. DETERMINATION OF BEST DEMONSTRATED AVAILABLE
TECHNOLOGY (BOAT) 5-1
6. CALCULATION OF BOAT TREATMENT STANDARDS 6-1
6.1 BDAT Treatment Standards for Nonwastewaters 6-1
6.2 BDAT Treatment Standards for Wastewaters 6-1
7. REFERENCES 7-1
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LIST OF TABLES
Page No.
Table 1-1 BDAT Treatment Standards for P119 and P120
Wastewaters and Nonwastewaters 1-3
Table 2-1 Manufacturers and Recoverers of Vanadium Compounds.. 2-3
Table 2-2 Manufacturers of Adipic Acid and Phthalic Anhydride. 2-6
Table 4-1 Treatment Performance Data Collected by EPA for
K048 and K051 - Plant 1 - Stabilization of
Incinerator Ash 4-3
Table 6-1 BDAT Treatment Standards for P119 and P120
Wastewaters and Nonwastewaters 6-3
LIST OF FIGURES
Page No.
Figure 3-1 Vanadium Pentoxide and Ammonium Metavanadate
Manufacture from Spent Sulfuric Acid Catalysts .... 3-6
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1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY
Pursuant to Section 3004(m) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA) as enacted by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA)
of November 8, 1984, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
promulgating treatment standards based on t ;e best demonstrated available
technology (BOAT) for vanadium-containing 'astes. These wastes are
identified in 40 CFR 261.33 as the waste c ;des P119 and P120. Compliance
with today's final treatment standards is a prerequisite for land disposal
of these wastes as defined in 40 CFR Par. 268.2. The effective date of
final treatment standards for P119 and ? 120 will be August 8, 1990.
This background document presents che Agency's technical support and
rationale for developing regulatory standards for these wastes. Sections
2 through 6 present waste-specific information for P119 and P120 wastes.
Section 2 presents the number and location of facilities affected by the
land disposal restrictions, the was re-generating processes, and waste
characterization data. Section 3 discusses the technologies used to
treat the wastes (or similar wast-s), and Section 4 presents available
performance data, including data upon which the treatment standards are
based. Section 5 explains EPA'5 determination of BDAT. Treatment
standards for vanadium wastes aL& determined in Section 6.
The land disposal restrictions program and BDAT methodology are more
thoroughly described in two additional documents: Methodology for
Developing BDAT Treatment Standards (USEPA 1989a) and Generic Quality
Assurance Project Plan for Land Disposal Restrictions Program ("BDAT")
(USEPA 1988a). The petitica process to be followed in requesting a
variance from the treatmen" standards is discussed in the methodology
document.
From a partial analysis of responses to EPA's 1986 National Survey of
Hazardous Waste Generators (Generator Survey), the Agency has information
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indicating that at least seven facilities presently generate P119 and
P120 wastes. These facilities generate hazardous wastes that are either
nonwastewaters or wastewaters. For the purpose of determining applicable
treatment standards, a wastewater is de-fined by the Agency as a waste
containing less than 1 percent (weight basis) total suspended solids*
(TSS) and less than 1 percent (weight basis) total organic carbon (TOC).
Wastes not meeting this defini ion must comply with the standards for
nonwastewaters.
The characterization and treatment data for vanadium came from a
routinely generated wastewater stream. However, the treated stream
contains vanadium that is treated in the same way that a P wastewater
stream would be treated. EPA belitves that this routinely generated
waste stream is as difficult or more difficult to treat than P119 and
P120. Therefore, the Agency is transferring the performance data from
this routinely generated waste stream to P119 and P120.
The treatment standard for P119 and P120 nonwastewaters is
stabilization as a method of treatment. Recovery is not precluded as a
method of treatment, provided the residuals from the P119 and P120
vanadium recovery process are stabilized. In the event that recovery or
stabilization is not appropriate for P119 or P120 (e.g., for a container
that does not meet the definition of "empty" in 40 CFR 261.7(b)(3)), a
variance from the treatment standard remains as an alternative. The
treatment standard for P119 and Pl20 wastewaters is 28 mg/1. The
treatment standards for vanadium are summarized in Table 1-1.
* The term "total suspended solids" clarifies EPA's previously used
terminology of "total solids" and "filterable solids." Specifically,
the quantity of total suspended solids is measured by Method 209c
(Total Suspended Solids Dried at 103° to 105°C) in Standard
Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 16th Edition
(APHA, AWWA, and WPCF 1985).
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Table 1-1 BOAT Treatment Standards for P119 and P120
Wastewaters and Nonwastewaters
Wastewaters
maximum for any 24-hour
Regulated composite sample
constituent Total composition (mg/1) Nonwastewaters
Vanadium 28 Stabilization as
method of treatment
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2. INDUSTRIES AFFECTED AND WASTE CHARACTERIZATION
As defined in 40 CFR 261.33, P119 and P120 are the following
discarded commercial chemical products, off-specification species,
container residues, and spill residues thereof:
P119 - Ammonium vanadate
P120 - Vanadium pentoxide
Section 2.1 describes the industries affected by the land disposal
restrictions for P119 and P120 wastes. Section 2.2 summarizes the
available waste characterization data for these wastes. Section 2.3 uses
the Agency's analyses of the sources of P119 and P120 wastes and waste
composition to determine waste treatability groups.
2.1 Industries Affected
The industries affected by the land disposal restrictions for P119
and P120 are (1) the inorganic chemicals industry, which produces or
recovers vanadium pentoxide and ammonium vanadate, and (2) several
industries that use vanadium compounds to manufacture metal alloys and to
manufacture catalysts used in the production of sulfuric acid, adipic
acid, and phthalic anhydride and in vapor-phase organic polymerizations.
2.1.1 Production of Inorganic Vanadium Compounds
According to the U.S. Bureau of Mines, approximately 5,000 tons of
vanadium were consumed in 1988. Approximately 90 percent of the vanadium
was used in the production of ferrous vanadium alloys. The remaining
10 percent (i.e., 500 tons) was used in the production of ammonium
metavanadate, vanadium pentoxide, and other compounds. (U.S. Bureau of
Mines 1989). Ammonium metavanadate and vanadium pentoxide are produced
from two sources: (1) vanadium pentoxide recovery from ore processing
and (2) recovery from spent catalysts. The current manufacturers of
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vanadium compounds and facilities that recover vanadium from spent
materials are shown in Table 2-1. Most vanadium produced in the United
States is produced as either vanadium pentoxide or ammonium metavanadate
from mined ores or recovery processes. Uranium production facilities and
some phosphorus production facilities produce vanadium as a byproduct.
Vanadium recovery from spent catalysts or from Stretford solutions also
contributes to the production of vanadium compounds.
(1) Recovery from ore processing. Vanadium is recovered
domestically as a principal mine product, as a coproduct or byproduct
from uranium-vanadium ores, and from ferrophosphorus produced as a
byproduct in the production of elemental phosphorus.
The first stage in ore processing is the production of an oxide
concentrate. The principal vanadium-bearing ores are usually crushed,
ground, screened, and mixed with a sodium salt, e.g., NaCl or
Na^CO... This mixture is roasted at about 850°C, and the vanadium
oxides are converted to water-soluble sodium metavanadate, NaVO-. The
vanadium is extracted by leaching with water. It is then precipitated at
a pH of 2 to 3 as sodium hexavanadate, Na,V,0,,, a red cake, by the
addition of sulfuric acid. This cake is then fused at 700°C to yield
a dense black product that is sold as technical-grade vanadium pentoxide
(V205). This product contains a minimum of 86 percent V205 by weight
and a maximum of 6 to 10 percent Na^O by weight.
The red cake can be further purified by dissolution of sodium oxide in an
aqueous solution of Na^CO-. Iron, aluminum, and silicon impurities
precipitate from the solution upon pH adjustment. Ammonium metavanadate
(NH.VO-) then precipitates upon the addition of NH.C1. This compound is
then calcined to give vanadium pentoxide of greater than 99.8 percent purity.
Most of the vanadium pentoxide produced in this manner is converted onsite to
the metal for metallurgical purposes.
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Table 2-1 Manufacturers and Recoverers of Vanadium Compounds
Manufacturers
Kerr-McGee Corporation
Union Carbide Corporation,
UMETCA Minerals Corporation
(subsidiary)
Shieldalloy Corporation
Strategic Minerals Corporation
Recovery Facilities
Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical
UPE - SOMEX, Ltd.
AMAX Metals Recovery
Dow Chemical
IT Corporation
Location
Soda Springs, Idaho
Blanding, Utah
Cambridge, Ohio
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Location
Freeport, Texas
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Braithwaite, Louisiana
Freeport, Texas
Benicia, California
Source: USEPA 1986b.
36128
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Vanadium and uranium are extracted from carnotite (a uranium ore
containing vanadium) by direct leaching of the raw ore with sulfuric
acid. An alternative method is roasting the ore followed by successive
leaching with H-0 and dilute HC1 or l^SO,. In some cases, the
first leach is with a NajCO., solution. The uranium and vanadium are
then separated from the pregnant liquor by liquid-liquid extraction
techniques involving careful control of the oxidation states and pH
during extraction and stripping. The product is usually in the form of
ammonium metavanadate, which is also mostly converted to the metal onsite
for metallurgical applications.
One plant, Kerr McGee, Soda Springs, Idaho, produces vanadium
pentoxide from ferrophosphorous produced using western phosphate ores.
The production process is proprietary. The products of this plant are
vanadium pentoxide and ammonium metavanadate used for chemical purposes.
(2) Recovery from spent catalyst. Vanadium recovery from spent
catalysts is typically accomplished through a process that involves
thermal oxidation, leaching, metals precipitation with caustic, and final
oxidation and granulation. Spent catalysts typically contain about
5 percent vanadium compounds. (Any P119 and P120 waste containing
comparable or higher levels of vanadium is likely to be managed by this
technology.)
One process that recovers vanadium from mixed spent catalysts
separates the spent catalyst into four products: molybdenum trisulfide,
vanadium pentoxide, alumina trihydrate, and nickel-cobalt concentrate. A
typical example of this process is described in greater detail in
Section 3.1.1(1).
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2.1.2 Users of Inorganic Vanadium Compounds
Most vanadium compounds are used in alloying irjn and steel to
enhance physical properties and in catalyst operations.
(1) Alloying. The most important use of varadium is as an
alloying element in the steel industry, where it is added to produce
grain refinement and hardenability in steels. *anadium is a strong
carbide former, which causes carbide particles to form in the steel, thus
restricting the movement of grain boundaries raring heat treatment. This
produces a fine-grained steel that is more resistant to cracking during
cooling. In addition, the carbide dispersio i confers wear resistance,
weldability, and good high-temperature strength. Vanadium steels are
used in dies or taps because of their deep-hardening characteristics and
for cutting tools because of their wear resistance. They are also used
as constructional steel in light and heavy sections; for heavy iron and
steel castings; for forged parts, such ai shafts and turbine motors; for
automobile parts, such as gears and axl
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Table 2-2 Manufacturers of Adipic Acid and Phthalic Anhydride
Major Adipic Acid Producers
DuPont
DuPont
Monsanto
Allied Signal
Major Phthalic Anhydride Producers
BASF
Exxon
Koppers Company
Stephan Company
Tenn-USS Chemical
Location
Orange, Texas
Victoria, Texas
Pensacola, Florida
Hopewell, Virginia
Location
Kearney, New Jersey
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Cicero, Illinois
Millsdale, Illinois
Pasadena, California
Source: SRI 1989.
3642g
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Generators reported production of very small amounts of P120 waste.
The EPA's national survey of Treatment, Storage, Disposal, and Recycling
facilities (TSDR) indicates that two facilities land disposed significant
quantities of P120 in 1986. Other anticipated generators of vanadium
pentoxide (P120) might be oil refineries that perform hydrotreating to
remove vanadium pentoxide and other metallic impurities and sell those
recovered metals as a product, as opposed to disposing of them as a waste.
2.2 Waste Characterization
From a partial response to the 1986 Generator Survey (USEPA 1986a),
the Agency has information on facilities that produce P119 and P120. One
is an ore processing facility generating P119 waste, and six facilities
generate P120 waste. Data from these seven facilities are for mixtures
of wastes containing wastes other than P119 or P120. The vanadium in the
waste mixture from the one plant with P119 is in the concentration range
of 1 to 10 ppm. The vanadium in the waste mixtures from the six plants
with P120 is in the concentration range of 1 to 25 percent.
From the two generators that reported data for P120 that is not mixed
with other wastes, the two sets of data indicate vanadium present at 50
to 75 percent for one facility and at greater than 90 percent at the
other facility.
2.3 Determination of Waste Treatabilitv Groups
Ammonium vanadate and vanadium pentoxide are classified as "P" wastes
(P119 and P120, respectively). A U or P waste is, in essence, a
nonroutine discharge of the particular component, i.e., a discharge that
was not planned. A generator or a user of the constituent in question
can generate the U and P waste only by accidentally spilling a
commercially available material containing the constituent or by
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disposing of the commercially available material because it is off-
specification for its intended use. A routine process waste from a
production process or from a routine wastewater treatment process is not
a U or P waste, regardless of the constituents it contains (unless the
wastewater treatment system discharge is contaminated with a U or P
waste, in which case the entire wastewater discharge becomes the U or P
waste by the mixture rule). The only exception to this rule is
containers that held the commercial product with the constituent of
concern and were not cleaned properly. (Proper cleaning is defined in 40
CFR 261.7.)
Any of the processes that recover vanadium run the risk of generating
a P waste because the recovered vanadium product may in fact be off-
specification and require disposal. Also, the recovered product may be
spilled by the generator or user or spilled en route. The drums may be
disposed of, and if not properly cleaned they would also be a P waste.
Routinely generated waste streams that contain ammonium vanadate or
vanadium pentoxide are not P wastes.
EPA has determined that P119 and P120 can be generated as either
wastewaters or nonwastewaters. The Agency is establishing these two
treatability groups to account for the physical forms these wastes may
take. The Agency believes that most P119 and P120 wastes will be
generated as nonwastewaters; however, wastewater forms may be generated
through such occurences as incidental spills of solution grade products
or spills mixing with other aqueous liquids.
Residues from the treatment of P119 and P120 are also P119 and P120
by the "derived from" rule, unless formerly delisted.
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3. APPLICABLE AND DEMONSTRATED TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES
In this section, the treatment technologies that are applicable to
P119 and P120 wastes are identified. The Agency determination of which,
if any, of the applicable technologies can be considered demonstrated for
the purpose of establishing BDAT is also presented in this section.
To be "applicable," a technology mus,t be theoretically usable to
treat the waste in question or to treat a waste that is similar in terms
of the parameters that affect treatment selection. (For detailed
descriptions of the applicable technologies, see EPA's Treatment
Technology Background Document (USEPA 1989b).)
To be "demonstrated," the technology must be in full-scale operation
for the treatment of the waste in question or a similar waste.
Technologies available only at pilot- and bench-scale operations are not
considered when demonstrated technologies are identified.
3.1 Applicable Treatment Technologies
3.1.1 Applicable Technologies for Nonwastewaters
EPA has identified recovery and stabilization as applicable treatment
technologies for nonwastewater forms of P119 and P120 wastes. These
technologies are discussed below.
(1) Recovery. Vanadium recovery is sometimes accomplished
through a process that involves thermal oxidation, leaching, metals
precipitation with caustic, and final oxidation and granulation. Spent
catalysts typically contain over 5 percent vanadium compounds.
Similarly, any P119 and P120 waste containing comparable or higher levels
of vanadium should be manageable by this technology.
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The CRI-MET process is currently employed at the AMAX Metals Recovery
facility in Braithwaite, Louisiana, and is considered typical for the
industry. This process uses a two-stage leach process: one stage for
the solubilization of vanadium and molybdenum, and the other for the
solubilization of alumina. The process separates the spent catalyst into
four products: molybdenum trisulfide, vanadium pentoxide, alumina
trihydrate, and nickel-cobalt concentrate.
The spent catalyst is fed to a ball mill, along with caustic soda
(NaOH). There it is finely ground and partially leached. The slurry is
then pumped to the first-stage leach autoclave, where it is oxidized at
high temperature and pressure. The sulfur is converted to sulfate, the
hydrocarbons are mostly destroyed, and the molybdenum and vanadium are
dissolved. The solution is then filtered and fed to the vanadium
recovery process. The solids, along with recycle caustic, make up the
feed for the second-stage alumina leach autoclave, which operates exactly
as the first stage.
Vanadium recovery from the first-stage leach solution follows
molybdenum precipitation. The vanadium is precipitated with caustic. It
is then washed, centrifuged, dried, oxidized, and granulated. Recovery
processes usually recover the vanadium in its pentoxide state. End use
may dictate further refinement of the initially produced or recovered
vanadium compound.
The process does not generate a solid waste. (All nonwastewater
residuals from this process are recyclable.) The wastewaters are
typically processed through a wastewater treatment system before
discharge under NPDES permit.
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Pretreatment in tanks is not precluded before recovery. Such
practices as dissolution, chemical precipitation, cation exchange, or
resin adsorption may render the waste more amenable to recovery. The
Agency does not wish to limit the types of recovery that could
potentially be used to treat these wastes, nor does it wish to prohibit
pretreatment in tanks prior to recovery.
(2) Stabilization technoloeies. Stabilization is identified as
an applicable technology for treatment of nonwastewaters containing most
BOAT list metals. Stabilization technologies involve mixing the waste
with lime/fly ash mixtures, cement, concrete mixtures, or other
formulations, both proprietary and nonproprietary. Water is then added,
and the mixture sets into a solid mass in which the leachability of the
metals is reduced compared to that in the untreated waste. Stabilization
technologies are discussed in detail in the Treatment Technology
Background Document (USEPA 1989b).
3.1.2 Applicable Technologies for Wastewaters
EPA has identified a proprietary wastewater treatment process, which
is Confidential Business Information (CBI), and chemical precipitation as
technologies applicable to wastewater forms of P119 and P120 wastes.
These technologies are discussed below.
(1) Solvent Extraction. Solvent extraction is commonly used for
organics, but can also be used to extract a few inorganics such as
vanadate salts. The basic principle of operation in solvent extraction
is that constituents are removed by mixing the waste with a solvent that
will preferentially dissolve the constituents of concern from the waste.
The waste and the solvent must be immiscible so that after mixing, the
two immiscible phases can physically separate by gravity. In theory, the
maximum degree of separation that can be achieved is provided by the
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selectivity value, which is the ratio of equilibrium concentration of the
constituents in the solvent to the equilibrium concentration of the
constituent in the waste. The solvent extraction process can be either
batch or continuous.
In the simplest extraction systems, three chemical components are
mixed: (1) the solute, or the constituents in the waste stream to be
extracted; (2) the nonsolute portion of the waste stream; and (3) the
solvent. The solvent and the waste stream are mixed to allow mass
transfer of the constituent(s) (the solute) from the waste stream to the
solvent. Separation of the solvent phase and the waste stream phase
occurs under quiescent conditions, relying on the density differences
between the two phases.
The solvent solution containing the extracted constituents is called
the extract. The extracted waste stream with the constituents removed is
called the raffinate. The extract can be either the heavy (more dense)
phase or the light (less dense) phase. Overall process operational
details can be found in the Treatment Technology Background Document
(USEPA 1989b).
(2) Chemical precipitation Chemical precipitation is a treatment
technology applicable to wastewaters containing a wide range of dissolved
metals. This technology removes these metals from solution in the form
of insoluble solid precipitates. The solids formed are then separated
from the wastewater by settling, clarification, and/or polishing
filtration.
The basic principle of operation of chemical precipitation is that
metals in wastewater are removed by the addition of a precipitating agent
that converts the soluble metals to insoluble precipitates. These
precipitates are settled, clarified, and/or filtered out of solution,
leaving a lower concentration of metals in the wastewater. The principal
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precipitation agents used to convert soluble metal compounds to less
soluble forms include lime (Ca(OH)«), caustic (NaOH), sodium sulfide
(Na9S), and, to a lesser extent, sod., ash (Na^CO.,), phosphate
(PO, ), and ferrous sulfide (FeS). A common precipitating agent
used for removal of vanadium from wastewaters is ferric sulfate, which is
added with pH adjustment. When ferric sulfate is used as treatment, the
vanadium is removed from the waste waters as ferric metavanadate, which is
relatively insoluble and remains in the filter cake. Chemical precipita-
tion is discussed in detail in the Treatment Technology Background
Document (USEPA 1989b).
3.2 Demonstrated Treatment Technologies
3.2.1 Demonstrated Technologies for Nonwastewaters
EPA believes that recovery is i demonstrated treatment technology for
P119 and P120 because information LS available indicating that spent
catalysts containing vanadium conn ounds with greater than 5 percent
vanadium can be recovered using this process.
EPA also believes that P119 and P120 nonwastewaters can be stabilized
since these wastes are inorganic compounds. Stabilization has been used
on a commercial basis to treat many wastes containing BOAT list metals in
an inorganic waste matrix.
3.2.2 Demonstrated Technologies for Wastewaters
Solvent extraction is a demonstrated technology because it is used on
a commercial basis to remove vanadium from wastewater. Confidential data
are available on solvent extraction of vanadium from wastewaters from a
commercial plant specializing in the recovery of vanadium. (See
Figure 3-1). Chemical precipitation is also a demonstrated technology
for vanadium wastewaters because it was used to treat leachate extracted
from nonwastewaters.
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4. PERFORMANCE DATA
This section presents relevant data available to EPA on the
performance of demonstrated technologies in treating listed wastes
containing vanadium compounds in concentrations similar to the
concentrations expected to be found in P119 and P120 wastes. These data
are used elsewhere in this document for determining which technologies
represent BOAT (Section 5) and for developing treatment standards
(Section 6). Eligible data, in addition to full-scale demonstration
data, may include data developed at research facilities or obtained
through other applications at less than full-scale operation, as long as
the technology is demonstrated in full-scale operation for a similar
waste or wastes as defined in Section 3.
Performance data, to the extent that they are available to EPA,
include the untreated and treated waste concentrations for a given
constituent, the values of operating parameters that were measured at the
time the waste was being treated, the values of relevant design
parameters for the treatment technology, and data on waste
characteristics that affect performance of the treatment technology.
Where data are not available on the treatment of the specific wastes
of concern, the Agency may elect to transfer data on the treatment of a
similar waste or wastes, using a demonstrated technology. To transfer
data from another waste category, EPA must find that the wastes covered
by this background document are no more difficult to treat (based on the
waste characteristics that affect performance of the demonstrated
treatment technology) than the treated wastes from which performance data
are being transferred.
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4.1 Performance Data for Nonwastewaters
The Agency does not have performance data on the recovery
technologies for the treatment of P119 and P120.
The Agency has performance data for treatment of vanadium-containing
nonwastewaters using stabilization, as shown in Table 4-1. The data
presented are performance data developed from stabilization of K048 and
K051 waste. However, the concentration of vanadium in the untreated K048
and K051 waste was in the 690 to 910 ppm range, well below the expected
vanadium concentration levels for P119 and P120. It follows that the
level of treatment achieved for the K048 or K051 vanadium concentrations
may not be achieved for P119 and P120 wastes containing higher
concentrations of vanadium. These data were not used to calculate a
concentration-based treatment standard for P119 or P120.
4.2 Performance Data for Wastewaters
Wastewater treatment data that were received from the Chemical
Manufacturers Association (CMA) for a commercial vanadium recovery
plant. The data have been analyzed for the development of
concentration-based treatment standards for P119 and P120 wastewaters.
The data are confidential and are thus not presented in this document.
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3377g
Table 4-1 Treatment Performance Data Collected by EPA for K048 and K051
Plant 1 - Stabilization of Incinerator Ash
Untreated waste
Total composition TCLP
(rag/kg) (mg/1)
Treated waste
TCLP extracts of stabilized fluidized bed incinerator ash
Cerent binder
Kiln dust binder
Run 1
mg/1
(ppn)
Run 2
mg/1
(ppn)
Run 3
mg/1
(ppn.)
Run 1
rag/1
(ppm)
Run 2
mg/1
(ppm)
Run 3
mg/1
(ppm)
Lime and fly ash binder
Run 1 Run 2 Run 3
mg/1 mg/1 mg/1
(ppm) (ppm) (ppm)
167. Vanadium
695-910
2.5-3.6 1.4
1.21
1.29
1.53
1.64
1.56
0.148 0.149
0.156
Design and operating parameters
Binder-to-waste ratio
Lime-to-waste ratio
Fly ash-to-waste ratio
Water-to-waste ratio
Ambient temprature (*C)
Mixture pH
Cure time (days)
Unconfined compression
strength (lb/in2)
0.2
HA
NA
0.5
23
11.6
28
0.2
NA
NA
0.5
23
11.5
28
0.2
NA
NA
0.5
23
11.5
28
943.5 921.6 1270
0.2
NA
NA
0.5
19.0
12.1
28
0.2
NA
NA
0.5
19.5
12.1
28
222.8 267.7
0.2
NA
NA
0.5
20
12.1
28
241.0
NA
0.2
0.2
0.5
19
12.0
28
NA
0.2
0.2
0.5
19
12.1
28
565.8 512.6
NA
0.2
0.2
0.5
19
12.1
28
578.8
NA = Not applicable.
Source: USEPA 1988.
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5. DETERMINATION OF BEST DEMONSTRATED
AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY (BOAT)
This section presents the Agency's rationale for determining best
demonstrated available technology (BDAT) for P119 and P120 nonwastewaters
and wastewaters.
The Agency examines all available performance data on technologies
that are identified as demonstrated to determine (using statistical
techniques) whether one or more of the technologies perform significantly
better than the others. The technology that performs best on a
particular waste or waste treatability group is then evaluated to
determine whether it is "available." To be available, the technology
must (1) be commercially available to any generator and (2) provide
"substantial" treatment of the waste, as determined through evaluation of
accuracy-adjusted data. In determining whether treatment is substantial,
EPA may consider data on the performance of the treatment on a waste
similar to the one in question, provided that the similar waste is at
least as difficult to treat. If the best technology is found to be not
available, then the next best technology is evaluated, and so on.
The most desirable waste management technology is one that results in
no residual streams, or in a residual stream with no hazardous
properties. EPA has identified demonstrated recovery technologies for
vanadium spent catalysts that could be used for treatment of P119 and
P120 nonwastewaters. However, since the Agency does not have sufficient
performance data on the recovery technologies for the treatment of P119
and P120, stabilization is considered best for nonwastewaters. Recovery
is not precluded as a method of treatment, provided the residuals from
the recovery process are stabilized.
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EPA has identified solvent extraction as a demonstrated technology
for wastewaters containing some BOAT list metals. Solvent extraction is
the only technology for which the Agency has reliable treatment data for
vanadium-containing wastewaters. Solvent extraction can be used to
extract vanadate salts, and the process is now being used in a commercial
plant; thus, this technology is available and represents BOAT for P119
and P120 wastewaters.
For P119 and P120 wastewaters, EPA has identified a proprietary,
wastewater treatment process as demonstrated to remove vanadium from
these wastewaters. As discussed in Section 4, the treatment data for
this proprietary process is confidential. This proprietary process is
commercially available, i.e., it can be licensed; therefore, it is an
"available" process. Since it is "best," "demonstrated," and
"available," it has been selected as BOAT.
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6. CALCULATION OF BOAT TREATMENT STANDARDS
In this section, treatment standards are developed :or the BOAT
technologies based on the appropriate performance data presented in
Section k.
6.1 BOAT Treatment Standards for Nonwastewaterr
The Agency is promulgating a treatment standard expressed as
"Stabilization as a method of treatment" (see Tabj.e 6-1). Using data in
Table 4-1 as a basis, the Agency believes that P.19 and P120
nonwastewaters can be stabilized. Those data s\ow that nonwastewaters up
to 910 mg/kg concentration and 2.5 to 3.6 mg/1 TCLP were stabilized to
between 0.15 and 1.6 mg/1 in TCLP leachate. therefore, the Agency is
promulgating stabilization as a treatment met.nod for nonwastewaters. The
Agency is not setting a numerical standard ':or P119 and P120
nonwastewaters because the only data available are from one source of
vanadium-containing waste. Since U and P wastes are likely to be of
varied matrices and the Agency has data 5.or only one of the waste
matrices, the Agency believes that it has insufficient data to support a
numerical standard. If sufficient additional stabilization data become
available, EPA will consider a numerical standard.
In the event that stabilization is not appropriate for P119 or P120,
a variance from the treatment standard remains an alternative.
6.2 BDAT Treatment Standards for Wastewaters
The treatment standard for P119 and P120 wastewaters was calculated
from wastewater treatment data from a commercial vanadium recovery plant
using a proprietary CBI vanadium recovery process. jased on these
treatment data (confidential), the Agency is propos .ng a treatment
standard of 28 mg/1 vanadium for P119 and P120 was :ewaters (see
6-1
327*8
-------
Table 6-1). The details of this calculation are CBI, including accuracy
adjustment of the treatment data and calculation of the variability
factor, and are thus not included in this document.
6-2
3274g
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Table 6-1 BOAT Treatment Standards for P119 and P120
Wastewaters and Nonwastewaters
Wastewaters
maximum for any 24-hour
Regulated composite sample
constituent Total composition (mg/1) Nonwastewater
Vanadium 28 Stabilization as
method of treatment
6-3
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7. REFERENCES
APHA, AWWA, and WPCF. 1985. American Public Health Association,
American Water Works Association, and Water Pollution Control
Federation. Standard methods for the examination of water and
wastewater. 16th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Public Health
Association.
CMA. 1990. Chemical Manufacturers Association CBI addendum to data
sent to USEPA in response to proposed rule RCRA docket No. (LD12-00187,
LD12-L0007).
Hammond, C.A. 1986. The DOW Stretford chemical recovery process,
Environmental Progress 5(l):l-4. February 1986.
SRI. 1989. SRI International. 1989 Directory of Chemical Producers,
United States of America. Menlo Park, California: SRI International.
USBM. 1983. U.S. Bureau of Mines 1983. Minerals Yearbook Volume 1,
Metals & Minerals Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior.
USEPA. 1986a. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste. National survey of hazardous waste generators. Washington,,
D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
USEPA. 1986b. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental
Progress. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
USEPA. 1986c. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste. National survey of treatment, storage, disposal and recycling
facilities, Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
USEPA. 1988a. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste. Generic quality assurance project plan for Land Disposal
Restrictions Program ("BOAT"). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
USEPA. 1988b. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste. Onsite engineering report for Waterways Experiment Station for
K048/K052. Draft report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
USEPA. 1989a. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste. Methodology for developing BOAT treatment standards.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
USEPA. 1989b. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste. Treatment technology background document. Washington, D.C.:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
7-1
3376g
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USEPA. 1990. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid
Waste. Best demonstrated available technology (BDAT) background
document for wastewaters containing BDAT list constituents.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Versar. 1980. Multi-media assessment of the inorganic chemicals
industry. Springfield, Virginia: Versar Inc. Final Report, Volume k.
7-2
3376g
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