Final answer:
Waste is considered corrosive and hazardous if it has a pH of less than 2 or greater than 12.5. The pH scale measures acidity and alkalinity, and extreme values in either direction identify a substance as hazardous due to its corrosive nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
Waste is considered corrosive and hazardous if it has a pH of less than 2 or greater than 12.5. The pH scale is used to determine the acidity or alkalinity of a substance, with a pH less than 7 indicating an acidic substance, a pH of 7 being neutral, and a pH greater than 7 indicating an alkaline substance. Substances that are either highly acidic or highly alkaline can be harmful and are capable of corroding materials, such as steel, hence their designation as hazardous wastes. For example, battery acid is a corrosive substance that falls into this category.
It is important to handle materials with extreme pH values with care due to their ability to cause damage. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) provides regulations and guidelines for the handling and disposal of such characteristic hazardous wastes. These regulations are important to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of these substances.