Hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.[1] In the United States, the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste are regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Hazardous wastes are defined under RCRA in 40 CFR 261 where they are divided into two major categories: characteristic wastes and listed wastes.[2]
Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are known or tested to exhibit one or more of the following four hazardous traits: ignitabilityreactivitycorrosivitytoxicity