Which process is an example of treating hazardous waste?

Incineration is a process specifically designed to treat hazardous waste by thermally decomposing it at high temperatures. During incineration, waste materials are combusted, which can significantly reduce their volume and render many of the harmful components less toxic or inert. The high temperatures achieved during incineration facilitate the breakdown of complex organic compounds, effectively destroying hazardous pollutants that might pose risks to human health and the environment if left untreated.

In addition to volume reduction, incineration often includes air pollution control systems to manage emissions, ensuring that harmful byproducts, such as particulate matter and gases, are captured and treated before being released into the atmosphere. This makes incineration an effective method of addressing both waste volume and hazardous material containment while complying with environmental regulations.

The other processes mentioned, while useful in certain contexts, do not serve the same function as incineration in treating hazardous waste. Electrostatic precipitation is predominantly used to capture particles from flue gases and is more about reducing air pollution than treating waste. Filtration is a physical separation process that removes solids from liquids or gases but does not necessarily alter the chemical nature of hazardous waste. Soil vapor extraction is a technique used to remove volatile substances from the ground but is specific to soil remediation rather than broad