Identification and leaching characteristics of sludge generated from metal pickling and electroplating industries by Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP).

One of India's major concerns is the increasing level of land pollution largely due to the uncontrolled disposal of industrial solid and hazardous waste. With rapid industrialization, the generation of industrial solid and hazardous waste has increased appreciably and the nature of waste generated has become complex. Their impacts on the ecological bodies are noticeable. The article describes the details of studies conducted using Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure, to estimate the toxicity effects of the metals viz., chromium, zinc, manganese, iron, nickel, cobalt and copper by the Zero Headspace Extractor for the sludges generated from effluent treatment plant of steel tube, wire and plating industries on environment constituents like groundwater, surface water and land. Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure determines the mobility of organic and inorganic analytes of liquid, solid or multiphase waste from hazardous solid wastes in the form of primary and secondary extracts. These extracts are mixed in equal volume proportion and analyzed by Direct Reading 2000 spectrophotometer. The amount of heavy metals observed during the studies in the leachates were found and the results were compared with Hazardous Waste categories as per Indian Standards. TCLP regulatory limits given by United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) and Germany Leachate Quality Standards and it was observed that they were on higher side, needing a proper preventive concept of sludge management including handling, treatment, recovery and disposal.