Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Hazardous Waste Test Methods / SW-846

"How-To" Guide for the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework

The Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) "How-To" Guide is a technical implementation guide that provides background on the LEAF methods, how to perform the methods, how to understand the test results and how the test results can be used to develop screening level assessments of constituent release or to develop more refined and accurate estimates of release when material is placed in a defined use or disposal scenario. The LEAF "How-To" Guide Appendices contain a comparison table of leaching methods used in the United States and the European Union, as well as full graphical and tabular leaching data for the case study.

The public comment period for the LEAF methods and "How-To" Guide closed on January 31, 2018. Although submissions will no longer be accepted, the EPA Docket can be viewed by searching for ID# EPA-HQ-OLEM-2017-0210. EPA reviewed all comments and published a Response to Comments document along with the final versions of the methods and “How-To” Guide.

  • Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) How-To Guide (pdf) (4.99 MB)
  • Appendices to Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) How-To Guide (pdf) (3.44 MB)
  • Response to Comments: Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) How-To Guide (pdf) (1.41 MB)

Hazardous Waste Test Methods / SW-846

  • Which Method to Use
  • Chapters and Methods
  • Update VII to SW-846
  • Validated Test Methods
  • Frequent Questions
  • Waste Sampling Guidance
  • SW-846 Guidance Memoranda
Contact Us About Hazardous Waste Test Methods
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on May 5, 2025
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.

OSZAR »