Tests treating soils contaminated with metal compounds and radionuclide surrogates were conducted in a DC arc melter. The soil melted, and glassy or ceramic waste forms with a separate metal phase were produced. Tests were run in the melter plenum with either air or N 2 purge gases. In addition to nitrogen, the primary emissions of gases were CO 2 , CO, oxygen, methane, and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ). Although the gas flow through the melter was low, the particulate concentrations ranged from 32 to 145 g/m 3 . Cerium, a nonradioactive surrogate for plutonium and uranium, was not enriched in the particulate matter (PM). The PM was enriched in cesium and highly enriched in lead. INTRODUCTIONThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has large quantities of buried wastes and contaminated soils from its nuclear weapons programs. Many of these are mixed wastes in that they are both Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous wastes and radioactive wastes. Mixed wastes must be treated to meet the RCRA landdisposal restrictions. In addition to treating these buried wastes and soils, DOE faces the task of decontaminating and decommissioning many radioactively contaminated facilities constructed of metal and highly refractory materials.