As a waste producer you have a duty of care to ensure that you have adequately characterised your waste for disposal offsite to landfill. The majority of waste soils can be classified by the landfill operator on the basis of a standard range chemical analysis carried out during the site investigation. However, it is important to ensure that the samples sets relate to current waste movements. If the results indicate waste falling into the “Inert” or “Hazardous” categories, further “Waste Acceptance Criteria” known as WAC testing will be required. Where no site investigation analysis is available this preliminary classification can be made on the basis of the results of a specific “air dried analysis”.
What is Waste Acceptance Criteria Testing?
WAC testing is used to determine how a waste will behave once it’s buried in a landfill. This is carried out primarily through analysis of leachate derived from that waste during laboratory analysis. It cannot be used to determine whether a waste is hazardous or not. Whether a waste is hazardous is dependant upon the Hazardous Waste Regulations and is established by reference to the Hazardous Waste List of the European Waste Catalogue.
Determinants within the suites include:
- Loss on ignition
- Total organic carbon
- Acid neutralising capacity (pH 7)
- BTEX (sum)
- Coronene
- PAH (sum) PCB EC7 (sum)
- TPH (C10-C40)
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Chloride
- Chromium
- Copper
- Dissolved organic carbon
- Fluoride
- Lead
- Mercury
- Molybdenum
- Nickel
- Phenols(mono)
- Selenium
- SO4
- Total dissolved solids
- Zinc
We are experienced in the classification and management of waste and are able to provide WAC testing and Waste Classification Reporting to all clients.
For further information or to discuss your site investigation contamination testing requirements please contact one of our Environmental Team.