The Dilution Prohibition

Dilution refers to the process of mixing hazardous material with non-hazardous material in order to reduce the concentration of the hazardous material. In general, dilution is not considered to be an acceptable method of treatment and is prohibited. As an example, dilution occurs when a waste handler mixes hazardous and non-hazardous materials in order to comply with a numeric disposal standard. Such mixing, however, does not reduce the toxicity of the hazardous waste in any way, so it is considered an inappropriate method of disposal. If a material is treated with inappropriate technology, it will also be considered to be unacceptably diluted.

However, there are several situations in which the EPA does permit dilution. For example, a waste handler may combine several types of waste if each type can be treated with the same method. In this case, dilution is acceptable.

To learn more about RCRA visit our RCRA Hazardous Waste Safety Online Training web page.