Millions of tons of spent sand, used to create metal casting molds, are generated
by the foundry industry each year in the United States. Not surprisingly, spent
foundry sands (SFSs) are an excellent substitute for virgin sands that are currently used
in manufactured soils and geotechnical applications. The purpose of this study was to
characterize trace metals and EPA-priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
and phenolics in ferrous and non-ferrous SFSs over a one-year period. Overall, the total
metal concentrations in the SFSs were similar to those found in native soils, while the
PAHs and phenolic concentrations were relatively low. Metal leaching tests were also
performed, which revealed that the SFSs have a low metal leaching potential under the
specific test conditions. The data from this study suggests that the majority of SFSs are
not hazardous in nature, except those that use olivine sands or are from brass foundries,
due to the presence of elevated concentrations of Ni or Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively. This
information will be useful to environmental regulators who are considering including
SFSs in their beneficial use regulations
