pH DEPENDENCE LEACHING TEST - Advantages and applicability

- Identification of sensitivity of leaching to small pH changes
- Provides information on pH conditions imposed by external influences
- Basis for comparison of international leaching tests
- Basis for geochemical speciation modelling
- Provides acid neutralization capacity information
- Mutual comparison of widely different materials to assess similarities in leaching behaviour
- Recognition of factors controlling release
- For non-interacting species possible to assess sub-sampling error

Applicable to almost any material

PERCOLATION TEST - Advantages and applicability

- Identification of solubility control versus wash out
- Indication of pore water concentrations relevant to field leachate from low L/S data
- Local equilibrium established quite rapidly
- Basis for geochemical speciation modelling
- Allows comparison with lysimeter and field data provided L/S value can be obtained from such measurements
- Projection towards long term behaviour possible
         Solubility controlled release
         Wash-out of non-interacting species

Applicable to many materials. Limited or not applicable to clayey soils and sediments (low permeability).

MONOLITH LEACH TEST - Advantages and applicability

- Relevant for materials with monolithic character (durable materials) or materials behaving as monolith (low permeability soil and sediments)
- Identification of solubility control versus dynamic leaching possible
- Isolation of surface wash-off effects
- Quantification of intrinsic release parameters
- Basis for reactive/transport modelling
- Projection towards long term behaviour possible

Applicable to a wide variety of monolithic construction materials (e.g. concrete, masonry, asphalt,..) and (cement) stabilised products

The Compacted Granular Leach Test (CGLT) is applicable to  sediments and clayey soils (low permeability)