Characteristics and Listed Wastes

For regulatory and legal purposes in the United States, hazardous substances are listed specifically and are defined according to general characteristics. Under the authority of the RCRA, the US. ERA defines hazardous substances in terms of the following characteristics  

In addition to classification by characteristics, ERA designates more than 450 listed wastes that are specific substances or classes of substances known to be hazardous. Each such substance is assigned an ERA hazardous waste number in the format of a letter followed by three numerals, where a different letter is assigned to substances from each of the four following lists  

F-type wastes from nonspecific sources For example, quenching wastewater treatment sludges from metal heat treating operations where cyanides are used in the process (F012). 

K-type wastes from specific sources For example, heavy ends from the distillation of ethylene dichloride in ethylene dichloride production (K019). 

F-type acute hazardous wastes Wastes that have been found to be fatal to humans in low doses or capable of causing or significantly contributing to an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness. These are mostly specific chemical species such as fluorine (F056) or 3-chloropropane nitrile (R027). 

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Wastes defined as hazardous under RCRA include characteristic and listed wastes. An RCRA-defined hazardous waste is a waste that appears on one of four lists (F list, K list, U list, or P list) or exhibits at least one of four characteristics (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity). Criteria for identifying characteristic hazardous wastes are included in Title 40, CFR part 261, subpart C. Listed wastes from industrial sources are itemized in 40 CFR part 261, subpart D. Other regulations that are relevant to the technology include the requirement to characterize the waste for a hazardous waste generator (40 CFR part 262.11), the requirement to determine if the hazardous waste is restricted from land disposal [40 CFR 268.7(a)], requirements for on-site storage of waste for up to 90 days [40 CFR 262.34(a)], or 40 CFR 264.553 for storage of waste in a temporary unit for up to 1 year prior to disposal. 

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