Overview on the Results of the Ring Test

Abstract

The assessment of waste as hazardous or non-hazardous, according to the European Waste List, includes ecotoxicological characterization. Despite being made into national law by the Waste List Ordinance 2001, no recommendations on the methodology have been provided to cover the hazard criterion (H14 “ecotoxic”), which was taken from the legislation on dangerous substances. Based on the recommendations of CEN guideline 14735 (2005), an international ring test was organized by the German Environment Agency (UBA) with the help of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), FH Giessen-Friedberg and ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH. Sixty laboratories from 15 countries participated in the ring test. It was performed with three representative waste types: ash from an incineration plant contaminated mainly with heavy metals (INC), soil containing high concentrations of organic contaminants (PAHs) (SOI) and preserved wood waste contaminated with copper and other heavy metals (WOO). Samples were prepared (inter alia dried, sieved and homogenized) and distributed by BAM. Parallel to the biological testing, the eluates and solid samples were chemically characterized. The basic test battery used in the ring test consisted of three aquatic (Algae test, Daphnia acute test and Microtox test) and two terrestrial (earthworm acute and plant test with two species (oat, rape)) tests. In addition, data were submitted for ten other tests (five aquatic (including a genotoxicity test) and five terrestrial). Almost all tests were performed according to ISO guidelines, providing EC50 values as measurement of toxicity. Data evaluation was done following recent recommendations made by ISO (2002) and Environment Canada (2005).