ABSTRACT
Methods and technologies used to characterize mixed waste depend on the end-use of the exercise. In examining mixed waste, one should first identify the likely answers to a number of questions, including:
What kind of mixed waste requires characterization? Is it environmental contamination of soil or groundwater; an ongoing process or waste stream; contents of an abandoned tank; or some other mixed waste?
Will radiation exposure levels allow normal laboratory processing or must remote-handling methods be employed?
Is characterization being conducted in situ or ex situ?
Will data be used for risk assessment, selection of management or treatment options, or waste disposal?
Are data being collected to support regulatory processes such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a separate state-authorized clean-up action, or as part of routine process control?
Chemical and radiological data generated during characterization must, at a minimum, meet the ultimate goals of the project. A selection of methods and technologies must work within any limitations imposed by circumstances of the situation and the waste form. From the answers to these questions, clearly identified data needs, data quality objectives, and situational limitations, determination of how to best characterize a mixed waste can begin.
