Flow behavior studies were conducted to determine if complex organic wastes can be adequately modeled using representative compounds. The complex organic waste used was a sample from the Petro-Processors Superfund Site. The model compound was 1,1,2-trichloroethane (TCA). Waterfloods were performed in uniformly packed sand columns using different flow scenarios. Recovery efficiencies and flow characteristics of the waste sample and TCA were compared. Samples of recovered waste were analyzed for priority pollutants to determine if any components were preferentially recovered by waterflooding. Our studies showed that: the waste displaced water from water-saturated sand more effectively than did TCA, considerably more water-influx (and a longer flow time) was required for the displacement of waste as compared to TCA, and substantially more water effluent was 1105 Copyright © 1995 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. Downloaded by [University of Arizona] at 07:12 03 February 2015 1106 THAKURETAL.collected during the displacement of waste as compared to TCA. Flow differences were attributed to viscosity and mineral wettability effects. Chemical analyses indicated that passage through the sand pack altered the composition of the waste.