Landfills are typically where CCA-treated wood is currently disposed, and will likely continue to be the primary form of management in the future. It has been shown that arsenic, copper and chromium leach from CCA-treated wood in certain situations; however, the impact of the disposal of CCA-treated wood on landfill leachate is currently unknown. The objective of this research is to examine the potential effect of the disposal of CCA-treated wood on landfill leachate characteristics. Disposal in C&D debris landfills, the facilities where CCA-treated wood is typically managed in Florida, United States (U.S.), was examined. In other states, CCA-treated wood may go to municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, which are required to have liners and leachate collection systems under U.S. law. Thus, the MSW landfill disposal scenario was examined as well. Finally, the disposal scenario of CCA-treated wood in a monofill, or a landfill where only CCA-treated wood is disposed, was explored. The effect of CCA-treated wood on leachate in each of these three scenarios was examined by creating simulated landfill environments each containing CCA-treated wood. Six lysimeters (simulated landfill columns), two for each disposal scenario, were constructed and operated; both control lysimeters (no CCA-treated wood) and experimental lysimeters containing CCA-treated wood were constructed for the three scenarios. Natural and simulated rainwater was allowed to infiltrate and percolate through the waste in the lysimeters creating leachate. Leachate was generated by the lysimeters and analyzed for arsenic, copper and chromium concentrations and general water quality parameters.

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