contamination
Unwanted substance intrusion
Contamination is the presence of something unwanted that makes a substance impure or unsafe.
Water contamination renders it undrinkable; radioactive contamination makes an area uninhabitable.
The term extends beyond physical substances: cross-contamination of evidence compromises a crime scene, and ideas can suffer contamination from bias.
In scientific contexts, contamination invalidates experiments by introducing foreign variables.
Disease-causing microorganism
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- microbeMicroscopic living organism
- germsMicroscopic disease agents
fungus · parasite · contagion · outbreak · epidemic · transmission · infectious · quarantine
Dishonest abuse of power
- taintMake impure
- defilementAct of corrupting purity
- besmirchTo soil someone's reputation
- sullyDamage one's standing
degradation · influence · association · complicity · scandal · impropriety · unclean · stain
Corrupting by foreign substances
- impuritySubstance degrading another's quality
- dilutionReduction in concentration
- foreign matterMaterial out of place
- inclusionBeing made part
particulate · trace · quality control · testing · detection · threshold · pristine · unadulterated
Sunlight-activated urban pollution
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- particulatesMinute airborne solids or droplets
- effluentDischarged liquid waste
- exhaustUse up entirely
acid rain · greenhouse gases · ozone depletion · heavy metals · landfill · runoff · leachate · groundwater
Foodborne bacterial illness
- listeriaFoodborne bacterial infection
- E. coliIntestinal rod-shaped bacterium
- botulismBacterial food poisoning
- moldForm-giving container
spoilage · recall · refrigeration · raw meat · unwashed · foodborne · norovirus · shelf life
Capable of causing harm
- hazardousLikely to cause injury
- carcinogenicCauses cancer
- pesticidesChemicals destroying harmful organisms
- herbicidesChemicals that destroy unwanted plants
lead · mercury · arsenic · asbestos · dioxins · solvents · leaching · exposure
Energy propagation through space
- falloutPost-blast atmospheric particles
- nuclearOf atomic energy
- ChernobylSoviet nuclear disaster site
- FukushimaJapanese nuclear accident site
isotope · cesium · uranium · plutonium · half-life · dosimeter · Geiger counter · exclusion zone
Subset for study
- dataFacts for analysis
- control groupUntreated subjects for comparison
- variableProne to fluctuation
- biasUnfair inclination or prejudice
artifact · methodology · validity · cross-reactivity · false positive · blind study · confounding · measurement error
pathogen
Disease-causing microorganism
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- microbeMicroscopic living organism
germs · fungus · parasite · contagion · outbreak · epidemic · transmission · infectious · quarantine · incubation
corruption
Dishonest abuse of power
- taintMake impure
- defilementAct of corrupting purity
- besmirchTo soil someone's reputation
sully · degradation · influence · association · complicity · scandal · impropriety · unclean · stain · dishonor
adulteration
Corrupting by foreign substances
- impuritySubstance degrading another's quality
- dilutionReduction in concentration
- foreign matterMaterial out of place
inclusion · particulate · trace · quality control · testing · detection · threshold · pristine · unadulterated · tainted
smog
Sunlight-activated urban pollution
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- particulatesMinute airborne solids or droplets
- effluentDischarged liquid waste
exhaust · acid rain · greenhouse gases · ozone depletion · heavy metals · landfill · runoff · leachate · groundwater · aquifer
salmonella
Foodborne bacterial illness
- listeriaFoodborne bacterial infection
- E. coliIntestinal rod-shaped bacterium
- botulismBacterial food poisoning
mold · spoilage · recall · refrigeration · raw meat · unwashed · foodborne · norovirus · shelf life · traceability
toxic
Capable of causing harm
- hazardousLikely to cause injury
- carcinogenicCauses cancer
- pesticidesChemicals destroying harmful organisms
herbicides · lead · mercury · arsenic · asbestos · dioxins · solvents · leaching · exposure · threshold
radiation
Energy propagation through space
Fukushima · isotope · cesium · uranium · plutonium · half-life · dosimeter · Geiger counter · exclusion zone · meltdown
sample
Subset for study
- dataFacts for analysis
- control groupUntreated subjects for comparison
- variableProne to fluctuation
bias · artifact · methodology · validity · cross-reactivity · false positive · blind study · confounding · measurement error · reagent
- Dairy Safetypasteurization, refrigeration, expiration dates, cold chain, spoilage
- food adulterationdilution, watering down, cutting, tampering, doctoring
- food fraudfood fraud, substitution, mislabeling, misbranding
- food safetyfood safety, food hygiene, food handling, food poisoning, sanitization
- Water Problemsturbidity, hard water, low pressure, dry well, dry wells
- Food Microbiologybacterial growth, microbial growth, spoilage, pathogens, pathogen
contaminationpurity
Uncontaminated quality
cleanliness · immaculateness · sterility · pristineness · spotlessness
contaminationdecontamination
Removing dangerous substances
purification · sterilization · cleansing · cleaning · disinfection
- bacterial contaminationHarmful microbes present
- oil contaminationHarmful petroleum in environment
- lead contaminationToxic heavy metal presence
- water contaminationHarmful substances in drinking supply
- cross contaminationTransfer of harmful substances
- nuclear contaminationHazardous atomic material spread