Characteristic Waste Definitions

Ignitability

• a liquid, other than an aqueous solution containing less than 24 percent alcohol by volume, with a flash point below 140 degrees F (60 C)
• a non-liquid, which under standard conditions is capable of causing fire through friction, absorption of moisture, or spontaneous chemical changes and when ignited, burns in a manner that creates a hazard
• an ignitible compressed gas, which includes gases that form flammable mixtures at a concentration of 13 percent or less in air
• an oxidizer, such as permanganate, inorganic peroxide, or nitrate, that readily stimulates combustion of organic materials

Corrosivity

• is aqueous and has a pH less than or equal to 2 or greater than or equal to 12.5.
• is a liquid that corrodes steel at a rate greater than 6.35 mm per year at a test temperature of 130 degrees F (55 C).

Reactivity

• normally unstable and readily undergoes violent change without detonation.
• reacts violently with water.
• forms potentially explosive mixtures with water.
• generates, when mixed with water, toxic gases, vapors, or fumes in a quantity sufficient to present a danger.
• is a cyanide or sulfide bearing waste that generated toxic gases, vapors, or fumes at a pH between 2 and 12.5.
• is capable of detonation or explosive reaction when subject to a strong initiating source or heated in confinement.
• is readily capable of detonation, explosive decomposition, or reaction at standard temperature and pressure.
• is an explosive

Toxicity

• Tested using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), which stimulates the leaching of materials in a landfill from the landfill into the surrounding groundwater
• Any waste known to be toxic will be classified as hazardous

Good sources for assistance in hazard determination are MSDSs, chemical dictionaries, and labels. If you have questions about whether a certain material is considered a hazardous waste, please call the Environmental Health and Safety at x7994.

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