Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
Published on: November 28, 2014
Interpretation of standard leaching test BS EN 12457-2: is your sample hazardous or inert?
Mohammad Zandi1, Nigel V Russell, Robert G J Edyvean
1Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield, UK S1 3JD.
Abstract:
A slag sample from a lead refiner has been obtained and given to two analytical laboratories to determine the release of trace elements from the sample according to BS EN 12457-2. Samples analysed by one laboratory passed waste acceptance criteria, leading it to be classified as an inert material; samples of the same material analysed by the other laboratory failed waste acceptance criteria and were classified as hazardous. It was found that the sample preparation procedure is the critical step in the leaching analysis and that the effects of particle size on leachability should be taken into account when using this standard. The purpose of this paper is to open a debate on designing a better defined standard leaching test and making current waste acceptance criteria more flexible.
Related Concept Videos
Testing Water Quality
Deleterious Substances in Aggregate
Another type of impurity is clay and fine material that...
Quality of Water
Sample Preparation for Analysis: Advanced Techniques
Acid digestion with strong acids is commonly used to dissolve inorganic materials that are insoluble (do not dissolve) in water. This method can be useful for...
Microbial Leaching
Sampling Methods: Sample Types
Solid samples include a variety of substances, such as sediments from water bodies, soil, metals, and biological tissues. Two standard methods for extracting sediments from water bodies are grab sampling and piston coring. Grab sampling involves using a device to collect a discrete sediment sample from the bottom of a water body with minimal disturbance. Grab samples do not always represent the entire area due to...

