contamination
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.
Exemples
3 sur 5The contamination of the local pond by trash made it impossible to swim.
The polluting of the pond with garbage prevented people from swimming.
The authorities are investigating the potential contamination of the groundwater supply.
Officials are looking into the possible poisoning of the underground water sources.
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.
Synonymes
Antonymes
Famille de mots
Astuce mémo
Think of 'CON-TAM-ination' as 'Container Tampering'—someone tampered with the container and made the contents dirty.
Quiz rapide
The laboratory had to discard the results because of accidental _______ of the DNA samples.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : contamination
Exemples
The contamination of the local pond by trash made it impossible to swim.
everydayThe polluting of the pond with garbage prevented people from swimming.
The authorities are investigating the potential contamination of the groundwater supply.
formalOfficials are looking into the possible poisoning of the underground water sources.
There's some contamination in the lab sample, so we might have to start the test over.
informalThe sample has been dirtied, so the test needs to be repeated.
Researchers found significant levels of chemical contamination in the soil samples collected near the factory.
academicScientists identified high amounts of toxic chemicals within the dirt taken from the industrial area.
The food processing plant was closed due to suspected bacterial contamination in the packaging area.
businessThe factory shut down because they thought harmful bacteria had entered the packaging zone.
Synonymes
Antonymes
Famille de mots
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
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
Souvent confondu avec
Pollution is a broad term for environmental damage; contamination specifically implies that a substance has become impure or dangerous due to a foreign additive.
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.
Notes d'usage
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.
Erreurs courantes
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.
Astuce mémo
Think of 'CON-TAM-ination' as 'Container Tampering'—someone tampered with the container and made the contents dirty.
Origine du mot
Derived from the Latin 'contaminatio', meaning 'defilement' or 'corruption' through touch or contact.
Modèles grammaticaux
Contexte culturel
In modern society, this word is frequently seen in 'boil water' advisories or food recall news regarding E. coli or Salmonella.
Quiz rapide
The laboratory had to discard the results because of accidental _______ of the DNA samples.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : contamination
Vocabulaire associé
Mots lis
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