Waste disposal practices are a major environmental concern and have come under intense scrutiny around the world. For example, nuclear power plant waste is radioactive and causes serious health issues if it isn't disposed of properly. Landfills cause other environmental issues by leaching hazardous materials into groundwater sources and contributing harmful gases to the environment. This volume highlights these and other examples of dangerous waste disposal, the problems associated with each, and methods some countries have developed to mitigate the dangers of these practices. As readers explore the text, they learn how science concepts are at work in the world around them.