The following table identifies several activities that may have caused contamination at industrial properties. The table summarizes contaminants that are related to such activities and identifies sources for the contaminants; however, it is not an exhaustive list of contaminants that can be found at a site. Identifying contaminants that may be present should be determined on a site-by-site basis. Such a determination should be conducted thoroughly and carefully. Information for this table was compiled from several sources, including various EPA Guides to Pollution Prevention for selected industries. A list of the specific citations used follows the table.
| Past Activities Typically Conducted at Brownfields Sites | Typical Contaminants and Typical Sources |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | Volatile organic compounds (VOC); arsenic, copper, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dibromide, and methylene chloride; pesticides; insecticides; herbicides; grain fumigants |
| Automotive refinishing and repair | Some metals and metal dust; various organic compounds; solvents; paint and paint sludges; scrap metal; waste oils |
| Battery recycling and disposal | Lead; cadmium; acids |
| Chloro-alkali manufacturing | Chlorine compounds; mercury |
| Coal gasification | Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) |
| Cosmetics manufacturing | Heavy metals; dusts; solvents; acids |
| Dry cleaning activities | VOCs such as chloroform and tetrachloroethane; various solvents; spot removers; fluorocarbon 113 |
| Electroplating operations | Various metals such as cadmium, chromium, cyanide, copper, and nickel |
| Glass manufacturing | Arsenic; lead |
| Herbicide manufacturing and use | Dioxin; metals; herbicides |
| Hospitals | Formaldehyde; radionuclides; photographic chemicals; solvents; mercury; ethylene oxide; chemotherapy chemicals |
| Incinerators | Dioxin; various municipal and industrial waste |
| Landfills—municipal and industrial | Metals; VOCs; polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB); ammonia; methane; household products and cleaners; pesticides; various wastes |
| Leather manufacturing | Toluene; benzene |
| Machine shops/metal fabrication | Metals; VOCs; dioxin; beryllium; degreasing agents; solvents; waste oils |
| Marine maintenance industry | Solvents; paints; cyanide; acids; VOC emissions; heavy metal sludges; degreasers |
| Munitions manufacturing | Lead; explosives; copper; antimony |
| Paint/ink manufacturing | Metals (such as chromium, cadmium, lead, and zinc); VOCs; chloroform; ethyl benzene; solvents; paints; inks |
| Pesticide manufacturing | VOCs; arsenic; copper; pesticides; insecticides; herbicides; fungicides; xylene; chlorinated organic compounds; solvents |
| Petroleum refining and reuse | Petroleum hydrocarbons; benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX); fuels; oil and grease |
| Pharmaceutical manufacturing | Lead; various organic chemicals; organic solvents |
| Photographic manufacturing and uses | Silver bromide; methylene chloride; solvents; photographic products |
| Plastics manufacturing | Polymers; phthalates; cadmium; solvents; resins; chemical additives; VOCs |
| Printing industry | Silver; solvents; acids; waste oils; inks and dyes; photographic chemicals |
| Railroad yards | Petroleum hydrocarbons; VOCs; BTEX; solvents; fuels; oil and grease; lead; PCBs |
| Research and educational institutions | Inorganic acids; organic solvents; metals and metal dust; photographic waste; waste oil; paint; heavy metals; pesticides |
| Scrap metal operations | Various metals (such as lead and nickel); PCBs; dioxin; transformers |
| Smelter operations | Metals (such as lead, copper, and arsenic) |
| Semiconductor manufacturing | Metals; VOCs; carbon tetrachloride; degreasing agents; solvents |
| Wood pulp and paper manufacturing | Chlorinated organic compounds; dioxin; furans; chloroform; resin acids |
| Wood preserving | Creosote; pentachlorophenol (PCP); arsenic; chromium; copper; PCB; PAHs; beryllium; dioxin; wood preservatives |
List of Citations Used to Identify Common Contaminants
 | Contaminants and Remedial Options at Selected Metal-Contaminated Sites (EPA 540-R-95-512, PB95-271961) |
| Dry Cleaning and Laundry Plants, Fact Sheet (EPA 530-SW-90-027b) |
| Guidelines for Waste Reduction and Recycling: Metal Finishing, Electroplating, Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing, Hazardous Waste Reduction Program, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (No document number) |
| Guides to Pollution Prevention: |
| Research and Educational Institutions (EPA 625-7-90-010) |
| Selected Hospital Waste Streams (EPA 625-7-90-009) |
| The Automotive Refinishing Industry (EPA 625-7-91-016) |
| The Automotive Repair Industry (EPA 625-7-91-013) |
| The Commercial Printing Industry (EPA 625-7-90-008) |
| The Fiberglass-Reinforced and Composite Plastics Industry (EPA 625-7-91-014) |
| The Marine Maintenance and Repair Industry (EPA 625-7-91-015) |
| The Mechanical Equipment Repair Industry (EPA 625-R-92-008) |
| The Pesticide Formulating Industry (EPA 625-7-90-004) |
| The Pharmaceutical Industry (EPA 625-7-91-017) |
| Innovative Treatment Technologies: Annual Status Report (EPA 542-R-95-008) |
| Low-Level Mixed Waste: A RCRA Perspective for NRC Licenses (EPA 530-SW-90-057) |
| Pollution Prevention Technologies for the Bleached Kraft Segment of the U.S. Pulp and Paper Industry (EPA 600-R-93-110) |
| Solving the Hazardous Waste Problem: EPA’s RCRA Program (EPA 530-SW-86-037) |
| Waste Minimization Audit Report: Case Studies of Minimization of Mercury-Bearing Wastes at a Mercury Cell Chloralkali Plant: Project Summary (EPA 600-S2-88-011) |
| Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment: Philadelphia Naval Shipyard: Project Summary (EPA 600-S2-90-046) |
| Waste Reduction for the Aerospace Industry: Fact Sheet, California Department of Health Services Technology Clearinghouse (no document number) |
This page was updated on 23-Mar-2009