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Why can reactive hazardous wastes cause explosions or toxic vapours?
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hazardous-waste management
Employees loading transuranic waste into a shipping container at Vallecitos Nuclear Center, a nuclear research facility in Alameda county, California.
Reactive hazardous wastes are classified as such because they are chemically unstable. They cause explosions or the formation of toxic vapours because they react violently when they come into contact with air or water. Furthermore, these chemicals can interact with other substances to create explosive or toxic by-products. Due to these dangerous properties, the safe management of such materials is essential to protect human health and the environment.123