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Why is hazardous waste sometimes encapsulated in concrete or plastic?
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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.
In the context of hazardous-waste management, encapsulation in materials like concrete, asphalt, or plastic is a form of physical treatment known as solidification.1
This process is used to transform hazardous waste into a solid mass that is highly resistant to leaching. By binding the waste within these stable materials, the potential for hazardous substances to migrate into the surrounding environmentāsuch as into soil or groundwaterāis significantly reduced. This method is essential for ensuring that waste materials are stabilized, thereby protecting human health and environmental quality by preventing the spread of toxic contaminants.12