Hazardous waste land treatment: A technology and regulatory assessment

Land treatment is a waste management technology that provides a high level of treatment for some hazardous wastes by using the soil as a treatment medium to degrade, transform, or immobilize waste constituents. It is characterized by very long retention times, and its costs are comparable to or lower than those of other waste treatment or disposal technologies. Also, most land treatment sites can be returned to unrestricted use after closure. Research and field experience for hazardous waste land treatment (HWLT) has demonstrated that a wide range of elements and compounds are treatable in a soil-based system. Also, studies show that heavy metals and organics are unlikely to migrate under HWLT conditions; preliminary studies of emission levels of volatile compounds show that they comply with regulatory requirements. However, because HWLT is regulated as ''land disposal'' (a term that incorrectly describes it), its widespread adoption is constrained. If hazardous waste regulations are changed to regulate HWLT as a separate treatment technology, it could be further developed and integrated into the US hazardous waste management system.