Development of a soil—waste interaction matrix for assessing land disposal of industrial wastes

Environmental impact assessment of industrial solid or liquid waste disposal on land is characterized by a soil—waste interaction matrix. Procedures are developed for the ranking of industrial liquid wastes and potential disposal sites. Wastes are described by parameters arranged into an effects group (human toxicity, groundwater toxicity, disease transmission potential), a behavioural performance subgroup (chemical and biological persistence, and sorption), a behavioural properties subgroup (viscosity, solubility, acidity/basicity), and a capacity-rate group (waste application rate). Soil-sites are described by parameters arranged into a soil-group (permeability, sorption), a hydrology group (water table gradient, infiltration) and a site group (distance to a point of use and thickness of the porous layer). A matrix format is used to combine waste parameter point scores (rows) with soil-site parameter point scores (columns), enabling the interactions to be quantified and related to acceptability levels. The matrix is intended for use by regulatory agencies as a tool in determining site suitability for the disposal of industrial wastes.