The Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) is an evaluation system consisting of EPA methods, data management tools, and scenario assessments designed to identify and accurately describe the release of inorganic, semi-volatile organic, and non-volatile organic constituents of potential concern (COPCs) in solid materials. Introduced as an extension to the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) from the EPA, the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) was designed to provide a flexible and customizable framework for distinguishing leaching characteristics under a range of specified conditions and for a variety of solid materials in contact with ground or surface water (including wastes, treated wastes, secondary materials, energy residuals, industrial processing residuals, and contaminated soil).
The EPA LEAF program includes four different EPA methods:
LEAF methods provide an alternative to TCLP when on-site testing conditions differ greatly from actual or projected conditions, or in circumstances where there is no regulatory requirement for TCLP or TLCP is not technically appropriate. LEAF can also be employed in evaluating and addressing specific contaminants in support of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability ACT (CERCLA).
LEAF methods take into consideration how pH, the liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S), and the physical form of the material affect leaching. The rate and extent of leaching from a material are determined by a number of chemical and physical factors that vary between sites due to changing environmental media, including local conditions and solid materials. Slight changes in key factors can have substantial effects on the magnitude of leaching by altering the rate at which a constituent can be released or the equilibrium water concentration.
The Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) How-To Guide from the EPA highlights several key factors including:
Utilizing LEAF methods to test samples in the laboratory allow for better control of key factors affecting leaching.
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