CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SOLID WASTES.

This paper reviews the generation of solid wastes by only a portion of the total industrial chemical complex in the U. S. Production of the inorganic, the organic and the agricultural chemicals are addressed in detail. The solid wastes from the chemical industry are often assumed to be hazardous. However, data generated by the Bureau of the Census in 1983 indicates that less than 20% of the chemical industry waste is classified as hazardous on the basis of USEPA tests. This paper attempts to address all wastes for the chemical industry rather than just the hazardous component. Reports from the U. S. Bureau of the Census, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency were the main sources of information used in preparing this paper.