US EPA

1516102 

Journal Article 

Tannery wastes definition, risk assessment and cleanup options, Berkeley, California 

Makdisi, RS 

1991 

Yes 

Journal of Hazardous Materials
ISSN: 0304-3894
EISSN: 1873-3336 

29 

1 

79-96 

eng 

BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. United States tanneries generate up to 100,000 (wet) tons of hair-burn and chrome sludges and contaminated soils. A facility closure investigation at a tannery in Berkeley, California showed sludges containing concentrations of Cr in the range of 1,000 to 40,000 mg/kg on a dry weight basis. California Code of Regulations defines total chromium above a concentration of 2,500 mg/kg in soil or sludge as hazardous waste. Chromium desorption from the soil matrix and Cr solubility are low. Migration of chromium in the soil water occurs either as a soluble Cr (VI) species, HCrO4- and CrO42- or as Cr (III) and Cr(VI) in soluble complexes with organic or inorganic substances. Investigations at the Berkeley tannery indicate these tannery sludges exhibit low mobility and have Cr(III) to Cr(VI) ratio were 200. A risk assessment was completed to assess the possible effects on publich health, but they were determined to be insignificant. Cleanup options evaluated were offsite disposal 

LEGISLATION; ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION; BIOLOGY; MINERALS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS/POISONING; OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES; PUBLIC HEALTH; SANITATION; General Biology-Institutions; Biochemical Studies-Minerals; Toxicology-Environmental and Industrial Toxicology; Public Health-General and Miscellaneous; Public Health: Environmental Health-Sewage Disposal and Sanitary Measures; Soil Science-Physics and Chemistry (1970- ); 18540-29-9; 16065-83-1; 7440-47-3