310 CMR, § 30.561
Many hazardous wastes, when mixed with other waste or material, can produce effects which are harmful to human health and the environment, such as (1) heat or pressure, (2) fire or explosion, (3) violent reaction, (4) toxic dusts; mists, fumes, or gases, or (5) flammable fumes or gases.
Below are examples of potentially incompatible wastes, waste components, and materials, along with the harmful consequences which might result from mixing material in one group with material in another group. The list is intended only as a guide to indicate the need for special precautions when managing these potentially incompatible waste materials or components.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive. An owner or operator shall, as regulations require, adequately analyze his wastes so that he can prevent creating uncontrolled substances or reactions of the type listed below, whether they are listed below or not.
In the lists below, the mixing of a Group A material with a Group B material might have the potential consequences as noted.
Group 1-A | Group 1-B |
Acetylene sludge | Acid sludge |
Alkaline caustic liquids | Acid and water |
Alkaline cleaner | Battery acid |
Alkaline corrosive liquids | Chemical cleaners |
Alkaline corrosive battery fluid | Electrolyte, acid |
Caustic wastewater | Etching acid liquid or solvent |
Lime sludge and other corrosive | Pickling liquor and other |
alkalies | corrosive acids |
Lime wastewater | Spent acid |
Lime and water | Spent mixed acid |
Spent caustic | Spent sulfuric acid |
Potential consequences: Heat generation; violent reaction.
Group 2-A | Group 2-B |
Aluminum | Any waste in Group 1-A or 1-B |
Beryllium | |
Calcium | |
Lithium | |
Magnesium | |
Potassium | |
Sodium | |
Zinc powder | |
Other reactive metals and metal hydrides |
Potential consequences: Fire or explosion; generation of flammable hydrogen gas.
Group 3-A | Group 3-B |
Alcohols Water | Any concentrated waste in Groups 1-A or 1-B |
Calcium | |
Lithium | |
Metal hydrides | |
Potassium | |
SO2Cl2, SOCl2, PCl3, CH3SiCl3 | |
Other water-reactive waste |
Potential consequences: Fire, explosion, or heat generation; generation of flammable or toxic gases.
Group 4-A | Group 4-B |
Alcohols | Concentrated Group 1-A |
Aldehydes | or 1-B wastes |
Halogenated hydrocarbons | Group 2-A wastes |
Nitrated hydrocarbons | |
Unsaturated hydrocarbons | |
Other reactive organic compounds and solvents |
Potential consequences: Fire, explosion, or violent reaction.
Group 5-A | Group 5-B |
Spent cyanide and sulfide solutions | Group 1-B wastes |
Potential consequences: Generation of toxic hydrogen cyanide or hydrogen sulfide gas.
Group 6-A | Group 6-B |
Chlorates | Acetic acid and other |
Chlorine | organic acids |
Chlorites | Concentrated mineral acids |
Chromic acid | Group 2-A wastes |
Hypochlorites | Group 4-A wastes |
Nitrates | Other flammable and |
Nitric acid, fuming | combustible wastes |
Perchlorates | |
Permanganates | |
Peroxides | |
Other strong oxidizers |
Potential consequences: Fire, explosion, or violent reaction.
310 CMR, § 30.561