Waste Characteristics
Section 2.4 of the HRS Rule, page 51589:
-
The waste characteristics factor category value is
evaluated based on the characteristics of the "hazardous substance potentially
posing the greatest hazard for the pathway" and the site hazardous waste
quantity.
- The substance selected must be associated with a source with a non-zero containment factor value.
- The substance selected doesn't have to be present in each source or be the most prevalent at the site, and can be either associated with a source or in a release.
- Different substances may be identified in each pathway as the most hazardous substance for purposes of pathway scoring.
-
Different factors determine the identification and evaluation of the
potentially most hazardous substance for a pathway.
- Ground Water Pathway: toxicity and ground water mobility
- Surface Water Pathway/Drinking Water Threat: toxicity and persistence
- Surface Water Pathway/Human Food Chain Threat: toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation potential
- Surface Water Pathway/Environmental Threat: ecosystem toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation potential
- Soil Exposure Pathway: toxicity
- Air Pathway: toxicity and air mobility
- Special provisions apply to the evaluation of the toxicity and persistence of radioactive substances. HRS Rule, Section 7.2, page 51664 and 51665
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