Definition
Contamination is the act or process of contaminating or the state of being contaminated.
Interpretation of the term “contamination” depends on its scope. In chemistry, the term “contamination” refers to the mixing of components, contamination of samples, solutions, etc., distorting the results of an analysis. In geology, contamination is the process of changes to the compositions of igneous rocks under the influence of assimilation (capture and processing) of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that differ from the parental magma composition. Contamination is possible if the temperature of the magma is sufficient for remelting captured fragments (xenoliths) of host rocks.
Radioactive contamination is the deposition of radioactive substances on surfaces, or within solids, liquids, or gases (including in the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable, or the processes giving rise to their presence in such places.
In environmental geochemistry, contamination...
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References
Chapman PM (2007) Determining when contamination is pollution — Weight of evidence determinations for sediments and effluents. Environ Int 33(4):492–501
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged (2012) Digital edition
International Atomic Energy Agency (2010) Programmes and systems for source and environmental radiation monitoring. Safety reports series no. 64. IAEA, Vienna, p 234
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Galitskaya, I.V. (2018). Contamination. In: Bobrowsky, P.T., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73568-9_69
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