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HomeRCRA CodesD ListD003
D List — Characteristic Hazardous Wastes Reactive (characteristic)

RCRA Hazardous Waste Number

D003

Reactive waste - unstable, water-reactive, cyanide- or sulfide-bearing, or explosive wastes

Official source: 40 CFR Part 261 (eCFR)

Hazard Basis

Reactive (characteristic)

Regulation

40 CFR Part 261

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Classification

See the full D list

Wastes that are hazardous because of what they do, not where they come from: ignitability (D001), corrosivity (D002), reactivity (D003), or toxicity (D004-D043, defined by TCLP contaminant thresholds). Any industrial waste stream can carry a D code.

How D003 is handled

01

A D code is determined by testing, not by source: TCLP for toxicity (D004-D043), flash point for ignitability (D001), pH for corrosivity (D002).

02

Characteristic wastes can exit hazardous status when the characteristic is removed - treatment to below the regulatory level is a recognized compliance path.

03

Generators must count D-coded streams toward their monthly generator status (VSQG / SQG / LQG).

Other D-list codes

D001Ignitable waste - liquids with flash point below 60 C (140 F), ignitable solids, oxidizers, and ignitable compressed gasesD002Corrosive waste - aqueous wastes with pH at or below 2 or at or above 12.5, or liquids that corrode steel faster than 6.35 mm per yearD004Toxicity characteristic waste - Arsenic at or above 5.0 mg/L (TCLP)D005Toxicity characteristic waste - Barium at or above 100.0 mg/L (TCLP)D006Toxicity characteristic waste - Cadmium at or above 1.0 mg/L (TCLP)D007Toxicity characteristic waste - Chromium at or above 5.0 mg/L (TCLP)D008Toxicity characteristic waste - Lead at or above 5.0 mg/L (TCLP)D009Toxicity characteristic waste - Mercury at or above 0.2 mg/L (TCLP)
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Where can a D003 stream go?

Recognized recovery routes for this waste family, ranked by typical recovery tier. Which route fits depends on your specific stream — composition, volume and region.

Deactivation treatment

Specialist handling

Reactive wastes carry a deactivation treatment standard: the reactivity must be removed under controlled conditions by specialist processors before any downstream management.

40 CFR 268.40 — LDR treatment standards

Cyanide destruction with metals recovery

Specialist handling

Cyanide-bearing reactive streams from plating and heat-treating are treated by specialist processors for cyanide destruction; metal-rich residues can continue to metals reclamation.

40 CFR 261.1(c)(4) — reclamation

These are the typical routes for the D list. Your stream's actual options depend on its composition and where it sits.

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