Hazardous property code
HP 6 Acute Toxicity
Waste that can cause severe health effects when ingested, inhaled, or through skin contact.
HP 6 covers waste that can cause severe health effects after a single or short exposure, whether swallowed, breathed in, or absorbed through the skin. The distinguishing feature is the speed: acute toxicity is about one exposure, not accumulation over time.
It is recorded on the consignment note as a hazard code, and assignment depends on the substances present and their concentrations in the particular load.
- Code
- HP 6
- DEFRA code
- HP_6
Sourced from DEFRA’s digital waste tracking reference data, last checked 25 July 2026.
EWC codes that commonly carry this hazard property
15 of 68 entries from the UK List of Wastes.
These are EWC entries that typically carry this hazard property, not a determination that any particular load does. Under WM3, whether a hazard property applies depends on the substances actually present and their concentrations — the producer is responsible for assessing each consignment.
- 03 02 01non-halogenated organic wood preservativeshazardousNon-halogenated organic wood preservatives — biocidal actives are acutely toxic and ecotoxic.
- 03 02 02organochlorinated wood preservativeshazardousOrganochlorinated wood preservatives (e.g. pentachlorophenol) — acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic; PCP is a listed POP.
- 03 02 03organometallic wood preservativeshazardousOrganometallic wood preservatives (e.g. tributyltin, organo-copper) — acutely toxic and ecotoxic.
- 03 02 04inorganic wood preservativeshazardousInorganic wood preservatives (e.g. CCA — chromated copper arsenate) — acutely toxic, carcinogenic (Cr VI, As) and ecotoxic.
- 06 01 03hydrofluoric acidhazardousHydrofluoric acid — acutely toxic (systemic fluoride), corrosive and irritant.
- 06 13 01inorganic plant protection products, wood-preserving agents and other biocideshazardousInorganic biocides / pesticides / wood-preserving agents — acutely toxic and ecotoxic by design.
- 07 01 03organic halogenated solvents, washing liquids and mother liquorshazardousHalogenated solvent / mother liquor (basic organic chem) — acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic.
- 07 01 04other organic solvents, washing liquids and mother liquorshazardousNon-halogenated organic solvent / mother liquor (basic organic chem) — flammable and acutely toxic.
- 07 01 07halogenated still bottoms and reaction residueshazardousHalogenated still bottoms / reaction residues — concentrated halogenated organics; acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic.
- 07 01 09halogenated filter cakes and spent absorbentshazardousHalogenated filter cakes / spent absorbents — concentrated halogenated organics; acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic.
- 07 02 03organic halogenated solvents, washing liquids and mother liquorshazardousHalogenated solvent / mother liquor (plastics manufacture) — acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic.
- 07 02 04other organic solvents, washing liquids and mother liquorshazardousNon-halogenated organic solvent (plastics manufacture) — flammable and acutely toxic.
- 07 02 07halogenated still bottoms and reaction residueshazardousHalogenated still bottoms (plastics) — acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic.
- 07 02 09halogenated filter cakes and spent absorbentshazardousHalogenated filter cakes (plastics) — acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic.
- 07 03 03organic halogenated solvents, washing liquids and mother liquorshazardousHalogenated solvent / mother liquor (dyes / pigments) — acutely toxic, carcinogenic and ecotoxic.
Related
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