LEAF

Eurofins Environment Testing understands that clients need to use leaching tests to evaluate the release of the constituent of potential concern (COPC) from solid materials in various scenarios including disposal, treatment, remediation as well as beneficial use.

Eurofins began to commercially support our clients with all four EPA LEAF methods in 2012. These methods were available in the document U.S. EPA (2010) Background Information for the Leaching Assessment Framework (LEAF) EPA/600/R-10/170. We understood that it was EPA’s goal was to have these methods incorporated into the compendium of laboratory methods, SW-846. To that end, the LEAF Methods were published as a part of SW-846 Update VI, Phase III which was finalized in May 2019. To access the link on SW-846 Update VI with the final SW-846 Methods 1313, 1314, 1315 and 1316, click here.  Eurofins' Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) reflect these final EPA methods.

LEAF methodologies represent a considerable shift in leaching assessments. LEAF is a leaching evaluation framework which consists of four methods (SW-846 Methods 1313, 1314, 1315 and 1316), data management tools and approaches for estimating the release of inorganic constituents from solid materials. Along with publishing the LEAF Methods, EPA has also published a Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework How to Guide, as well as Frequent Questions about the LEAF Method and How to Guide and Useful resource for Data Management and Modeling Software which can be found at this link for your review.

Traditionally, tests such as TCLP (EPA Method 1311) or SPLP (EPA Method 1312) offer a single point leaching test to evaluate the leaching potential of a solid material. LEAF offers an alternative. The LEAF tests offer a range of values, offered by four different tests, over various release control factors as well as allowing for flexibility to evaluate site specific conditions.

Our industry leading program with 8 years of experience incorporates the technical guidance and expertise of our LEAF Experts to ensure that we understand your analytical needs, work with you to select the appropriate method(s), and make any modification which may be required to reflect your site specific conditions and accomplish your data quality objectives. 

EPA's SW-846 LEAF Methods

A summary of the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework Methods is as follows:

Eurofins supports EPA LEAF Methods 1313, 1314, 1315, and 1316 on a wide variety of materials including soil, sediment, stabilized materials, brick, road bedding, coal ash, fly ash and ash. The published LEAF methods are for inorganics COPCs. We have also developed modifications to EPA Method 1315 to address potential concerns associated with the method for organic constituents or concern utilizing either Polyethylene (PE) or Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Please reach out to us to discuss our method modifications which we have successfully executed on many projects.