ABSTRACT
Wastes are items which are disposed by various means such as burial, insertion into the sea, incineration, spreading onto land, etc. Hazardous wastes are those which, if improperly managed, could harm man and/or the environment because they are toxic, corrosive, explosive, combustible, etc. Often, certain components of wastes, such as heavy metals, cause that waste to be judged potentially hazardous by regulatory authorities. Lists of potentially hazardous wastes have been issued by many countries. In late May 1988, member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) agreed upon a list of 44 potentially hazardous wastes. Special monitoring and control is required if any of these wastes cross the frontiers of any OECD member country on their way to final disposal (OECD, 1988).
