What are the four hazardous waste characteristics used to identify characteristic hazardous waste?

• A. Ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity
• B. Flammability, density, volatility, and odor
• C. Radioactivity, magnetism, acidity, turbidity
• D. Color, odor, taste, and texture

Answer: (C)

The four hazards used to identify characteristic hazardous waste are ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. These properties come from the RCRA rules that classify wastes that pose fire, chemical reactivity, corrosive damage, or toxic effects if released or ingested.

Ignitability means the waste can easily catch fire or sustain combustion, determined by tests like flash point. Corrosivity describes wastes that can corrode metals or have extreme acidity or basicity, typically tested by pH and related criteria. Reactivity covers wastes that may violently react, explode, or release toxic gases under certain conditions, such as when heated or mixed with water. Toxicity involves wastes that contain hazardous constituents that can leach out and cause harm, assessed by procedures like the TCLP to see if leached levels exceed regulatory limits.

The other options mix properties that aren’t the formal regulatory characteristics used to identify characteristic hazardous waste—radioactivity relates to a different regulatory framework, and color, odor, or basic physical attributes without the specific testing criteria don’t define characteristic hazardous waste.