decontaminate
Meaning: To remove dangerous substances such as radioactive material, chemical agents, or biological hazards from an area, object, or person.
Decontaminate is a technical term from environmental science, public health, and military preparedness. It appears in discussions of nuclear incidents, chemical spills, brownfield redevelopment, and pandemic response. The noun 'decontamination' often modifies other nouns: 'decontamination unit,' 'decontamination procedures.' In British media, the word featured prominently during the Salisbury nerve agent incident in 2018, when extensive decontamination operations were required.
Examples
- Specialist teams spent months decontaminating the Salisbury site after the nerve agent attack. 专业团队花了数月时间对索尔兹伯里神经毒剂袭击现场进行除污。Equipos especializados pasaron meses descontaminando el emplazamiento de Salisbury tras el ataque con agente nervioso.専門チームは神経剤攻撃後のソールズベリー現場の除染に数か月を費やした。전문 팀이 신경작용제 공격 이후 솔즈베리 현장의 제염에 수개월을 투입했다.
- The former industrial land must be fully decontaminated before any residential development can proceed. 在任何住宅开发项目推进之前,这片前工业用地必须完全除污。El antiguo suelo industrial debe ser completamente descontaminado antes de que pueda procederse a cualquier urbanización residencial.住宅開発を進める前に、この旧工業用地は完全に除染されなければならない。주거 개발을 진행하기 전에 이 구 공업 용지는 완전히 제염되어야 한다.
- Hospital staff followed strict decontamination procedures before leaving the isolation ward. 医院工作人员在离开隔离病房前严格遵循除污程序。El personal hospitalario siguió estrictos protocolos de descontaminación antes de abandonar la sala de aislamiento.病院スタッフは隔離病棟を出る前に厳格な除染手順に従った。병원 직원들은 격리 병동을 나가기 전에 엄격한 제염 절차를 따랐다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: professional, journalism, academic
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From de- (reversal) + contaminate, from Latin contaminare (to make impure, to defile), from contamen (contact, pollution). The compound entered English in the early 20th century, initially in military chemical warfare contexts.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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