OIL CHEMICAL ABSORBENT Landfill

Problem:

Inorganic adsorbents such as clays/mineral grains, and all the “polys” and various silica combinations leach the adsorbed product and in most states and countries are prohibited by law to be land filled and must be incinerated as hazardous waste. The reason, leaching will contaminate both the land filled site itself, and the ground waters, aquifers and rivers in the region. Furthermore, the plastics and polys leave a toxic residue and release dioxins and furans into the atmosphere when incinerated, and the clays/mineral grains discharge toxic dust when poured, and inhalation is poisonous.

Solution:

Hydrocarbon absorbents produced from sphagnum peat moss do not leach oil that has been encapsulated within its capillaric pore structure. Laboratory tests by accredited facilities were needed to verify this.

From 1989 to 1991, Mr. Donald P. Noland, “the Guru of heat treated sphagnum peat absorbents had product harvested from the “Fisons” bogs of Parkland County, Alberta, laboratory tested to verify that after encapsulating hydrocarbons, the peat absorbent does not leach. Spill-Sorb Canada Inc. the only producer of absorbents from these bogs, has received permission from Mr. Noland to publish these reports, and concludes

“…that you may safely confirm that the Spill-Sorb peat absorbent produced from the ‘Fisons’ bogs in Parkland County will, when tested, correspond with those reports I received from 1990 to 1992.”

Test Procedures:

Tests were conducted in conformance with the exacting standards of the U.S.A. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Hydrocarbons, pesticides, herbicides and metals in suspension were encapsulated within the peat absorbent. The test materials were subjected to forces simulating landfill pressures and conditions. The Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure (TCLP) tests proved the safety and non-leaching properties of the contaminated peat absorbent.

Testing Laboratories:

Laboratory	Zenon Environmental Inc. Burlington, Ontario Canada	Analytical Services Inc. Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A.	Wadsworth/Alert Laboratories Inc. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.	Microbiological and Biochemical (M.B.) Assay Laboratories Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Medium	0.5N Acetic Acid	Gasoline	Cutting Oil BPEC-1-15-C	SE-30
Procedure/ Methods	Ontario Ministry of Environment Regulation 309-Schedule 4	TCLP Method 1311 Promulgated as Appendix II, FR11862, March 29, 1990	TCLP and Hazardous Characteristics as per 40CFR part 268 USA testing procedure, methods SW846	US Environmental Protection Agency test methods for Evaluating Solid Waste Method SW-846
Projects/ Sample #	PO#90-02 AN908968	26149-2	43790-W/O 210 108003	J-44262-1
Date	May 11, 1990	March 21, 1991	January 17, 1992	July 23, 1991

To view the findings click here "The summary of the laboratory findings". PAGE 14

Spill-Sorb Page 13

Jersey, Environmental Protection– ID 27 Non-hazardous Waste Classification

One of the strictest Environmental Protection Agencies in the U.S. is the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Waste Management, State of New Jersey. Air dried peat absorbent from the Spill-Sorb “Fisons” bogs were tested by HWS Technologies, Inc., U.S.A. Their reports, submitted to the New Jersey DEP allowed the absorbent to be classified as non-hazardous waste (ID27) for motor vehicle accident fluids absorbed when it is applied at a ratio of 1:1 by weight. The applicable regulation, N.J.A.C. 7:26-8.13(b)5 lists oil spill cleanup residue which is contaminated beyond saturation as hazardous waste. For spills into soil, or where sand is used as the adsorbent, a concentration of 3% or more is considered saturation. The State of New Jersey absorption capacities are regulated as follows:

SCENARIO 1
A	9 Pounds of peat absorbent must be used for each gallon of diesel fuel, crankcase oil, or transmission fluid spilled.
B	63 Pounds of clay must be used when it is the adsorbent.
C	275 Pounds of sand must be used when it is the adsorbent!
SCENARIO 2
A	8 Pounds of peat absorbent must be used for each gallon of gasoline spilled.
B	56 Pounds of clay must be used when it is the adsorbent.
C	225 Pounds of sand must be used when it is the adsorbent!
SCENARIO 3
A	When peat absorbent is used at the above rate the spill cleanup residue would not be considered to be contaminated beyond saturation and would not be classified as hazardous waste due to the presence of non-listed motor vehicle accident fluids.
B	As of May 8, 1990 land filling of spills using clay as the adsorbent is prohibited and must be incinerated as hazardous waste.
SCENARIO 4
A	Air dried peat absorbent has no related health issues.
B	Many clay adsorbents contain silica sand which is of concern as a health issue (i.e. Silicosis).
In New Jersey peat absorbents may be disposed of as I.D. 27 when used to absorb certain virgin products. The generator of the waste is responsible for determining whether the absorbed spill meets the definition of hazardous wastes (N.J.A.C 7:26-8.1), and manage the waste accordingly.

Ontario Ministry Of The Environment– Regulation 309 - Schedule 4.

Samples of air dried peat absorbent harvested from the Spill-Sorb “Fisons” bogs of Alberta were sent to Zenon Environmental Inc. of Burlington, Ontario, Canada for testing (note TCLP tests, previous page).

The sample was first extracted using 0.5N Acetic Acid according to the Ministry of the Environment, Ontario, Canada extraction procedure 43 FR58956. The resulting extract was analysed for the parameters presented in Schedule 4 with all the parameters analysed being below the Leachate Quality Criteria.

The peat absorbent met all the criteria required for being safe for disposal in a landfill site, however disposal of specific contaminants, such as PCBs in Canada for example, may not be land filled. Governing regulations for disposal of wastes should always be verified prior to land filling, land farming, or incinerating Spill-Sorb encapsulated with any contaminate.

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