Which term refers to the confinement of healthcare waste with immobilizing material?

The term that refers to the confinement of healthcare waste with immobilizing material is encapsulation. This process involves enclosing waste in a protective barrier that prevents the release of hazardous substances into the environment, ensuring that the waste is securely contained and minimizing the potential for exposure to pathogens or toxic materials.

Encapsulation is particularly important in managing healthcare waste, which can include infectious materials or hazardous chemicals that pose health risks. By using immobilizing materials, encapsulation helps stabilize the waste, thereby reducing its mobility and preventing it from leaching into the surrounding environment or contaminating soil and water sources.

Separation, on the other hand, involves the distinct categorization of different types of waste but does not specifically refer to immobilization. Storage pertains to the temporary holding of waste before treatment or disposal, and transmutation implies a more complex transformation of materials, which is not appropriate in this context. Therefore, encapsulation is the most accurate term for describing the process of confining healthcare waste within immobilizing materials.