B2 verb Formell

contamination

/kənˌtæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/

Contamination refers to the presence of unwanted or harmful substances that make something impure, dirty, or unfit for use. It is commonly used in scientific, environmental, and forensic contexts to describe the loss of purity through contact with a foreign element.

Beispiele

3 von 5
1

The contamination of the local pond by trash made it impossible to swim.

The polluting of the pond with garbage prevented people from swimming.

2

The authorities are investigating the potential contamination of the groundwater supply.

Officials are looking into the possible poisoning of the underground water sources.

3

There's some contamination in the lab sample, so we might have to start the test over.

The sample has been dirtied, so the test needs to be repeated.

Wortfamilie

Nomen
contamination
Verb
contaminate
Adjektiv
contaminated
Verwandt
contaminant
💡

Merkhilfe

Think of 'CON-TAM-ination' as 'Container Tampering'—someone tampered with the container and made the contents dirty.

Schnelles Quiz

The laboratory had to discard the results because of accidental _______ of the DNA samples.

Richtig!

Die richtige Antwort ist: contamination

Beispiele

1

The contamination of the local pond by trash made it impossible to swim.

everyday

The polluting of the pond with garbage prevented people from swimming.

2

The authorities are investigating the potential contamination of the groundwater supply.

formal

Officials are looking into the possible poisoning of the underground water sources.

3

There's some contamination in the lab sample, so we might have to start the test over.

informal

The sample has been dirtied, so the test needs to be repeated.

4

Researchers found significant levels of chemical contamination in the soil samples collected near the factory.

academic

Scientists identified high amounts of toxic chemicals within the dirt taken from the industrial area.

5

The food processing plant was closed due to suspected bacterial contamination in the packaging area.

business

The factory shut down because they thought harmful bacteria had entered the packaging zone.

Wortfamilie

Nomen
contamination
Verb
contaminate
Adjektiv
contaminated
Verwandt
contaminant

Häufige Kollokationen

environmental contamination the polluting of the natural world
cross-contamination spreading germs from one surface to another
bacterial contamination the presence of harmful bacteria
soil contamination toxic substances found in the ground
risk of contamination the chance that something will become impure

Häufige Phrasen

source of contamination

the origin of the polluting substance

avoid cross-contamination

taking steps to prevent the spread of germs between items

levels of contamination

the measured amount of impurities present

Wird oft verwechselt mit

contamination vs pollution

Pollution is a broad term for environmental damage; contamination specifically implies that a substance has become impure or dangerous due to a foreign additive.

contamination vs infection

Infection refers to the biological invasion of a living host by pathogens, whereas contamination refers to the presence of those pathogens on surfaces or in substances.

📝

Nutzungshinweise

Use 'contamination' when discussing scientific samples, food safety, or environmental issues where a specific substance has made something else impure. It is often an uncountable noun.

⚠️

Häufige Fehler

Learners often use 'contaminate' as a noun; remember that 'contamination' is the noun form. Also, do not confuse it with 'contagion', which refers to the spread of disease.

💡

Merkhilfe

Think of 'CON-TAM-ination' as 'Container Tampering'—someone tampered with the container and made the contents dirty.

📖

Wortherkunft

Derived from the Latin 'contaminatio', meaning 'defilement' or 'corruption' through touch or contact.

Grammatikmuster

Uncountable noun (though 'contaminations' can occur in plural in technical listing of types) Often followed by the preposition 'of' (e.g., contamination of the water) Frequently modified by nouns (e.g., lead contamination)
🌍

Kultureller Kontext

In modern society, this word is frequently seen in 'boil water' advisories or food recall news regarding E. coli or Salmonella.

Schnelles Quiz

The laboratory had to discard the results because of accidental _______ of the DNA samples.

Richtig!

Die richtige Antwort ist: contamination

Ähnliche Wörter

unknown

A1

A person or thing that is not known, recognized, or familiar. It often refers to a mysterious situation or a person who has not yet achieved fame or success.

of

A1

A preposition used to show a relationship between a part and a whole, or to indicate belonging and origin. It connects a noun or pronoun to another part of the sentence to specify which one or what kind.

in

A1

A preposition used to indicate position within a container, a space, an area, or a period of time. It describes being surrounded by something or being inside the boundaries of a location.

it

A1

A third-person singular pronoun used to refer to an object, animal, or situation that has already been mentioned or is clear from context. It is also frequently used as a dummy subject to talk about time, weather, or distance.

on

A1

A preposition used to indicate that something is in a position above and supported by a surface. It is also used to indicate a specific day or date, or to show that a device is functioning.

as

A1

A conjunction used to compare two things that are equal in some way. It is most commonly used in the pattern 'as + adjective/adverb + as' to show similarity.

this

A1

Used to identify a specific person, thing, or idea that is physically close to the speaker or has just been mentioned. It can also refer to the present time or a situation that is currently happening.

by

A1

A preposition used to show the method or means of doing something, or to identify the person or thing that performs an action. It frequently appears in passive sentences to indicate the agent or before modes of transport.

we

A1

The word 'we' is a first-person plural pronoun used to refer to the speaker and one or more other people collectively. It is used as the subject of a sentence or clause.

or

A1

A coordinating conjunction used to connect two or more possibilities or alternatives. it indicates that only one of the options is likely, required, or true.

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