recontamination
Getting dirty again
Recontamination is the introduction of contaminants to something that had been cleaned or purified.
The term appears most often in contexts involving food safety, medical sterilization, or environmental cleanup: The surgical instruments were sterilized but subject to recontamination during storage.
The prefix re- emphasizes that contamination had previously been addressed.
Relating to operations
- woundCoiled, or an injury
- dressingSauce for salads
- catheterInserted medical drainage tube
- implantDevice placed inside tissue
reinfection · hospital-acquired · gloves · instruments · gauze · incision · postoperative · bandage
Disease-causing microorganisms
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- microbesMicroscopic living organisms
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
outbreak · spread · transmission · quarantine · biohazard · contagion · exposure · sterilization
Environmental harm from waste
- toxinsHarmful biological substances
- remediationAct of correcting faults
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
- soilGround matter for planting
runoff · leaching · cleanup · brownfield · plume · aquifer · monitoring · testing
surgical
Relating to operations
implant · reinfection · hospital-acquired · gloves · instruments · gauze · incision · postoperative · bandage · irrigation
pathogens
Disease-causing microorganisms
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- microbesMicroscopic living organisms
infection · outbreak · spread · transmission · quarantine · biohazard · contagion · exposure · sterilization · disinfection
pollution
Environmental harm from waste
- toxinsHarmful biological substances
- remediationAct of correcting faults
- groundwaterWater in underground rock
soil · runoff · leaching · cleanup · brownfield · plume · aquifer · monitoring · testing · migration
recontaminationdecontamination
Removing dangerous substances
purification · sterilization · cleanliness · purity · sanitation
recontaminationprotection
Guarding against harm
preservation · decontamination · purification · sterilization · cleaning
contaminate, contamination, contaminant, uncontaminated, decontaminate, decontaminated, decontamination, decontaminating, decontaminates