Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable
element that renders something unsuitable, unfit or harmful for physical body,
natural environment, workplace, etc.[1][2][3]
Types of contamination
Within the sciences, the word "contamination" can take on a variety of subtle
differences in meaning, whether the contaminant is a solid or a liquid,[3] as well
as the variance of environment the contaminant is found to be in.[2] A contaminant
may even be more abstract, as in the case of an unwanted energy source that may
interfere with a process.[2] The following represent examples of different types of
contamination based on these and other variances.
Chemical contamination
In chemistry, the term "contamination" usually describes a single constituent, but
in specialized fields the term can also mean chemical mixtures, even up to the
level of cellular materials. All chemicals contain some level of impurity.
Contamination may be recognized or not and may become an issue if the impure
chemical causes additional chemical reactions when mixed with other chemicals or
mixtures. Chemical reactions resulting from the presence of an impurity may at
times be beneficial, in which case the label "contaminant" may be replaced with
"reactant" or "catalyst." (This may be true even in physical chemistry, where, for
example, the introduction of an impurity in an intrinsic semiconductor positively
increases conductivity.[4]) If the additional reactions are detrimental, other
terms are often applied such as "toxin", "poison", or pollutant, depending on the
type of molecule involved.[5] Chemical decontamination of substance can be achieved
through decomposition, neutralization, and physical processes, though a clear
understanding of the underlying chemistry is required.[6] Contamination of
pharmaceutics and therapeutics is notoriously dangerous and creates both perceptual
and technical challenges.[7]
Environmental contamination
In environmental chemistry, the term "contamination" is in some cases virtually
equivalent to pollution, where the main interest is the harm done on a large scale
to humans, organisms, or environments. An environmental contaminant may be chemical
in nature, though it may also be a biological (pathogenic bacteria, virus, invasive
species) or physical (energy) agent.[8] Environmental monitoring is one mechanism
available to scientists to detect contamination activities early before they become
too detrimental.
Agricultural contamination
Main article: Biocontainment of genetically modified organisms
Another type of environmental contaminant can be found in the form of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs), specifically when they come in contact with organic
agriculture. This sort of contamination can result in the decertification of a
farm.[9] This sort of contamination can at times be difficult to control,
necessitating mechanisms for compensating farmers where there has been
contamination by GMOs.[10] A Parliamentary Inquiry in Western Australia considered
a range of options for compensating farmers whose farms had been contaminated by
GMOs but ultimately settled on recommending no action.[11]
Food, beverage, and pharmaceutical contamination
Main articles: Food contaminant and List of medicine contamination incidents
In food chemistry and medicinal chemistry, the term "contamination" is used to
describe harmful intrusions, such as the presence of toxins or pathogens in food or
pharmaceutical drugs.[6][12][13][14][15]
Radioactive contamination
In environments where nuclear safety and radiation protection are required,
radioactive contamination is a concern. Radioactive substances can appear on
surfaces, or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where
their presence is unintended or undesirable, and processes can give rise to their
presence in such places.[16][17] Several examples of radioactive contamination
include:
residual radioactive material remaining at a site after the completion of
decommissioning of a site where there was a nuclear reactor, such as a power plant,
experimental reactor, isotope reactor, or a nuclear powered ship or submarine[18]
ingested or absorbed radioactive material that contaminates a biological entity,
whether unintentionally or intentionally (such as with radiopharmaceuticals[19]
escape of elements after nuclear accident, such as the contamination of Iodine-131
and Caesium-137 after the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine.[20]
Note that the term "radioactive contamination" may have a connotation that is not
intended. The term refers only to the presence of radioactivity and gives no
indication itself of the magnitude of the hazard involved. However, radioactivity
can be measured as a quantity in a given location or on a surface, or on a unit
area of a surface, such as a square meter or centimeter.
Like environmental monitoring, radiation monitoring can be employed to catch
contamination-causing activities before much harm.
Interplanetary contamination
Interplanetary contamination occurs when a planetary body is biologically
contaminated by a space probe or spacecraft, either deliberately or
unintentionally. This can work both on arrival to the foreign planetary body and
upon return to Earth.[21]
Contaminated evidence
Main article: Contaminated evidence
In forensic science, evidence can become contaminated. Contamination of
fingerprints, hair, skin, or DNA—from first responders or from sources not related
to the ongoing investigation, such as family members or friends of the victim who
are not suspects—can lead to wrongful convictions, mistrials, or dismissal of
evidence.[22][23]
Contaminated samples
Contamination on agar plate
In the biological sciences, accidental introduction of "foreign" material can
seriously distort the results of experiments where small samples are used. In cases
where the contaminant is a living microorganism, it can often multiply to dominate
the sample and render it useless, as in contaminated cell culture lines. A similar
affect can be seen in geology, geochemistry, and archaeology, where even a few
grains of a material can distort results of sophisticated experiments.[24]
