Effects of particle size and contact time on the reliability of Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure for solidified/stabilized waste

Inconsistency in leaching results using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) indicates that the procedure should contain specific guidance with respect to the following parameters: iii minimum particle size, (2) contact time limit between leachant and waste. Experimental data show that there is approximately a 50% decrease in the amount of waste leached when a minimum particle size of 8 mm is applied. Results indicate that as the contact time between leachant and waste increases, the amount of waste leached increases drastically. The results suggest that restrictions should be set on these two parameters for TCLP results to be reliable and comparable for solidified/stabilized waste. (C) 1998 Academic Press.