# Reuse or Disposal of Waste Foundry Sand: An Insight into Environmental Aspects
## 5 Environmental Standards for WFS Reuse
### End of Waste Criteria  
One of the main barriers hindering the reuse of WFS is their qualification as waste, and regulatory bodies are therefore drafting Decrees (EoW-End of Waste Decrees) to define the criteria for waste to become a secondary raw material.  
According to European Waste framework Directive 2008/98/EC [58] and subsequent modifications and integrations adopted with European Directive 2018/851/EC [22], the general EoW criteria are the following:  
1. the substance or object is to be used for specific purposes;
2. a market or demand exists for such a substance or object;
3. the substance or object fulfils the technical requirements for the specific purposes and meets the existing legislation and standards applicable to products;
4. the use of the substance or object will not lead to overall adverse environmental or human health impacts  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**France [55]**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**USA [56]**} \\ \cline{2-6}
**Parameter** & **Scenario 1** & **Scenario 2** & **Scenario 3** & **Illinois** & **Iowa** \\  & **(mg/kg)** & **(mg/kg)** & **(mg/kg)** & **(mg/L)** & **(mg/L)** \\ \hline Ag & n.p. & n.p. & n.p. & n.p. & 4.5 \\ As & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.05 & 4.5 \\ Ba & 25 & 25 & 25 & 2.0 & 90.0 \\ Cd & 0.05 & 0.05 & 0.05 & 0.005 & 0.90 \\ Cr & 0.8 & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.1 & 4.5 \\ Cu & 3 & 3 & 3 & 5.0 & n.p. \\ Hg & 0.01 & 0.01 & 0.01 & n.p. & 0.18 \\ Fe & n.p. & n.p. & n.p. & 5.0 & n.p. \\ Mn & n.p. & n.p. & n.p. & 0.15 & n.p. \\ Mo & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.6 & n.p. & n.p. \\ Ni & 4 & 2 & 0.5 & n.p. & n.p. \\ Pb & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.6 & 0.0075 & 4.5 \\ Sb & 0.7 & 0.4 & 0.08 & n.p. & n.p. \\ Se & 0.1 & 0.1 & 0.1 & 0.05 & 0.90 \\ Zn & 20 & 10 & 5 & n.p. & 5.0 \\ Nitrate & n.p. & n.p. & n.p. & 10.0 & n.p. \\ Fluoride & 60 & 30 & 13 & 4.0 & n.p. \\ Chloride & 1000 & 1000 & 1000 & 250.0 & n.p. \\ Sulphate & 10,000 & 5000 & 1300 & 400.0 & n.p. \\ Phenol & 2 & 2 & 1 & n.p. & n.p. \\ Soluble fraction & n.p. & n.p. & 5000 & n.p. & n.p. \\ TOC & 30,000 & 30,000 & 30,000 & n.p. & n.p. \\ BTEX & 6 & 6 & 6 & n.p. & n.p. \\ Benzene & n.p. & n.p. & n.p. & 0.005 & 0.45 \\ PCB & 1 & 1 & 1 & n.p. & n.p. \\ Hydrocarbons & 500 & 500 & 500 & n.p. & n.p. \\ PAH & 50 & 50 & 50 & n.p. & n.p. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* Scenario 1: maximum width 3 m; scenario 2: maximum width 6 m; scenario 3: no limit on maximum width; n.p.: not provided. TOC: total organic carbon. BTEX: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and sylene. PCB: polychlorinated biphenyls. PAH: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.  
\end{table}
Table 6: Limit values in the leaching test for the use of WFS by French guidelines, and Illinois and Iowa for structural fill.  
In Italy, a specific EoW regulation for WFS is not available, though the Lombardy Region promoted the proposal of Guidelines for the management of WFS [59] by the Technical Committee observatory for the circular economy and the energy transition.  
Queensland region (Australia) adopted an EoW Code for foundry sands setting threshold values for the concentration of contaminants on dry weight waste, without giving limit value on eluate characteristics. Different scenarios are evaluated, considering: (i) bound applications where the resource is encapsulated or chemically transformed and incorporated into a final product; (ii) unbound applications and manufacturing of compost, mulch and soil conditioner; and (iii) unrestricted use and manufacturing of general-purpose soil--unbound uses require more safety environmental features, with lower heavy metals and organic compounds concentrations [60].