The undesired introduction of impurities of a chemical or microbiological nature, or of foreign matter, into or on to a starting material or intermediate during production, sampling, packaging or repackaging, storage or transport.
Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that renders something unsuitable, unfit or harmful for the physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc.
English
Etymology
From Latin contāminātiōnem.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kənˌtæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, /kənˌtæm.əˈneɪ.ʃən/
- (General American) IPA(key): /kənˌtæm.əˈneɪ.ʃən/, [kənˌtɛəm.əˈneɪ.ʃən], [kənˌɾ̃æm.əˈneɪ.ʃən]
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /kənˌtæm.ɪˈnæɪ.ʃən/
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
contamination (countable and uncountable, plural contaminations)
- The act or process of contaminating.
- Synonyms: pollution,