The rules for waste prevention and waste management in compliance with environmental, human health sustainable development are governed by the legislation of each EU country.

One of these legislative requirements is tracking permissible concentrations of harmful substances in waste and verification of hazardous properties of waste. ALS Environmental provides waste testing services to waste management operators and to companies wishing to mitigate the impact of industrial waste.

Waste deposited at landfill

The major driver constitutes the Landfill Directive (Directive 99/31/EC) and the Council Decision 2003/33/EC, which set up waste acceptance criteria (WAC). Stringent guidelines classify waste into specific categories corresponding to a landfill type. Landfills are indeed classified according to whether they can accept inert, hazardous or non-hazardous wastes.

ALS Environmental carries out waste acceptance criteria (WAC) testing by simulating leach of contaminants from the waste by rainwater according to EN 12 457. To perform these leaching simulations, our laboratories employ:

- single stage leach, a one part leach with a liquid to solid ratio L/S=10, the most common procedure for leaching of waste.

- double stage leach, a two parts leach, where the first leach is performed at L/S=2 and then at L/S=8. It better mimics the natural conditions of leaching by rainwater for material with high  solid content.

- column leach test, an upflow percolation test, which provides information on the leaching behavior at low L/S ratios  prevailing in disposal scenario.

WAC - Inert waste

Wastes mentioned in criteria 2.1.1. of the Landfill Directive are assumed to fulfil the criteria as set out in the definition of inert waste in Article 2(e) of the Landfill Directive and the criteria on limit values for waste acceptable at landfills for inert waste. The wastes can be admitted without testing at a landfill for inert waste.

Otherwise or in case of suspicion of contamination, ALS Environmental would apply the following testing. The following leaching limit values apply for waste acceptable at landfills for inert waste calculated at liquid to solid ratios (L/S) of 10 l/kg for total release and directly expressed in mg/l.

* Limit values from Council Decision 2003/33/EC. 

* Limit values from Council Decision 2003/33/EC.          

** Number of parameters and limit value set by member state.

WAC – Non-hazardous waste

If waste does not fall into the category of waste defined in the Article 2.2.1 of the Council Decision 2003/33/EC, then waste should be tested.

ALS Environmental proposes the following testing. The limit values below apply to granular non-hazardous waste accepted in the same cell as stable, non-reactive hazardous waste, calculated at 10 l/kg for total release and directly expressed in mg/l.

WAC – Hazardous waste

The criteria for waste acceptable at landfills for hazardous waste are stated in the Article 2.4.1. of the Council Decision 2003/33/EC.

ALS Environmental proposes the following testing. The following leaching limit values apply for granular waste acceptable at landfills for hazardous waste calculated at L/S = 10 l/kg for total release and directly expressed in mg/l. 

Asbestos

During demolition work it is often important to ascertain whether asbestos is present in the waste or not. Asbestos may be found in, but not limited to, insulation, floor tiles and adhesives. Material samples that are sent to ALS Environmental laboratories are first examined using a stereo microscope. Examination under the microscope allows the presence of asbestos to be verified and provides a rough estimate of the amount.

For more information on asbestos, consult our dedicated web pages

Ecotoxicological tests

Certain EU countries put in place ecotoxicological testing of the waste. Ecotoxicity tests provide information on the intensity of adverse effects resulting from human influences and can produce data in the evaluation of the potential environmental impact of substances discharged into water or spread on land or into landfills.

At ALS Environmental, aquatic and terrestrial organisms can be studied – bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), fish (Poecilia reticulata), algae (Desmodesmus subspicatus), water arthropod (Daphnia magna Straus),  higher plant (sinapis alba, lactuca sativa), terrestrial arthropod (Folsomia candida), terrestrial annelidan (Enchytraeus crypticus) to mention but a few.

Waste used on the soil surface

Several EU countries allow waste to be spread on land. The disposal of the waste is arranged in a manner that preserves the chemical, biological, and physical properties of the soil by limiting the accumulation of contaminants.

 Another case has to be also considered when the spreading of waste is frequently applied. Soil is in that case used a biodegradation/bioremediation means. Periodical monitoring and soil optimisation  (addition of water, nutrients, amendments or soil organisms like worms and mechanical turning of soil, etc.) are conditions sine qua non to confirm that no adverse impact hve occured. ALS Environmental proposes a set of analysis to check or monitor the content of contaminants in waste, to determine microbial content of waste or a set of ecotoxicological tests 

H14 and H15 properties of wastes

The Hazardous Waste Directive (HWD, Council Directive 91/689/EC) provides a Framework for the hazard classification of waste. Among the hazardous properties, H14 and H15 can be determined in our laboratories.

H14 refers to the property „Ecotoxic“, a waste that presents or may present immediate or delayed risks for one or more sectors of the environment.

H15 concerns the waste capable by any means, after disposal, of yielding another substance, e.g. a leachate, which possesses any of the characteristics from H1 to H14

At ALS Environmental, the bioluminescent bacterial toxicity test is one of the most widely used assays to indicate for general toxicity. If local legislation permits, this is a fast screening test to eliminate the possible suspicion on the H14 property of tested waste.

If thorough ecotoxicity tests are required our laboratories carry out a series of determinations on different organisms. This test gives an estimation of EC50, LC50, IC50 on 4 different organisms.