Ecotoxicological Characterization of Waste

R. Wagner The European list of wastes (LOW) (Commission Decision 2000/532/EC and updates) is the basic foundation for the implementation of waste legislation in Europe. It contains a harmonized list of different types of waste and categorizes them according to their origin or generation process. It provides for a uniform description of wastes through the application of a uniform nomenclature and the assignation of certain waste code numbers, for example, in permits or for monit- ing purposes. It also labels those hazardous wastes that are subject to a number of special provisions in both European and national legislation, for example, with regard to monitoring, licenses for installations, and national obligations regarding giving notice and transfer of responsibilities. The Waste Catalogue Ordinance (AVV) transposed the European LOW into German legislation in late 2001. This ordinance encompasses 840 codes of waste in 20 main chapters, classifies 400 types of waste as hazardous, and contains mirror entries for about 200 types of waste. The latter term classifies waste either as hazardous or non-hazardous, depending on certain physical or chemical properties. The ordinance defines 14 hazard criteria (H criteria), including criterion H14 “ecotoxic,” in order to classify waste with regard to properties that render it hazardous. Unfortunately, the LOW is incomplete. Depending on the classification of h- ard, specific concentrations of solids are laid down for the majority of properties relevant for health and workers’ protection.

This book provides the background, organisation, methods, results and recommendations regarding the ecotoxicological classification and assessment of waste. Waste must be characterised, according to the European Waste list, as ecotoxicologically hazardous or non-hazardous. Despite being in force since 2000 no methodological recommendations have been provided to address the hazard criterion (H14 "ecotoxicity") which was taken over from the legislation on dangerous substances. Based on the recommendations of CEN guideline 14735 (2005), an international ring test was co-organised by the German Federal Environment Agency and ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH. This book provides an overview of the experience as well as a comparison of the ring test results with the literature and data that has been published to date.

In total, 60 laboratories from 15 countries participated in the ring test. Tests were performed with three representative waste types: an ash from an incineration plant mainly contaminated with heavy metals, a soil containing high concentrations of organic contaminants (PAHs) and a preserved wood waste contaminated with copper and other heavy metals.  

Information is provided on the basic test battery used in the ring test, consisting of three aquatic (Algae test, Daphnia acute test and Microtox test) and two terrestrial (earthworm acute and plant test with two species) tests, which cover all three waste types. In addition, data is presented for ten additional tests:  five aquatic (including a genotoxicity test) and five terrestrial.  Most tests were performed according to ISO guidelines, providing EC50 values as a measurement of toxicity. Data evaluation was done following recent recommendations made by ISO (2002) and Environment Canada (2005).

The results of the ring testing support the proposals made in the CEN guideline 14735 (2005) concerning the performance of such tests. This book also supplies a comprehensive list of references for further studies as well as the addresses of the ring test partners, among other useful information.