Fixation of Tobyhanna Army Depot Electroplating Waste Samples by Asphalt Encapsulation Process

Electroplating waste samples from Tobyhanna Army Depot, PA, and other synthetically prepared samples of hazardous waste were fixed by the WPC-VRS process of Werner and Pfleiderer Corp. (asphalt micro-encapsulation) and evaluated by using the modified Wisconsin leaching test. It was found that the process provides satisfactory attenuation to leaching of heavy metal ions, hexavalent chromium, and cyanide. The presence of complexing ions like cyanide, ammonia, and high pH, however, seems to adversely affect the performance of the process, slightly increasing the leaching of zinc, copper and cadmium. Excepting these metals, the concentrations of other metals in the leachates generated are within the limits set by the proposed Pennsylvania State Regulations and/or USEPA Standards. (Author)