Influence of the pH indicator on dissolved organic carbon for determination the hazardousness of industrial waste

The paper presents the influence of pH on the dissolved organic carbon in industrial waste samples as a decision indicator in determining the hazardousness of the waste at storage according to the environmental legislation. Waste storage is a common method of management and is realizing according to GO 95/2005, which requires limit concentrations of the indicators analyzed according to each type of deposit (inert, non-hazardous, and hazardous). For the analysis of the dissolved organic carbon, 6 samples of waste from different sectors of activity were subjected to the leaching test and the eluate was analyzed on a multi N/C 3100 equipment at both the pH of the waste, itself and between 7.5 and 8 pH units. From the results obtained it is found that the modification of the pH leads to significant variations in the concentration of the dissolved organic carbon, variations which can provide essential information for the subsequent management of the waste.