To contaminate is to taint or sully. You can contaminate the land, air, or water. Contamination includes two common environmental terms - pollution and waste.
Waste is anything that somebody wants to dispose of.
Pollution is any direct or indirect alteration of the environment, that creates a hazard or potential hazard to any living creature. Pollutants can have effects locally (in the community), or nationally. Some, when dispersed, can travel long distances, giving rise to "transboundary" effects.
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Some substances break down quickly in water or soil while others are more persistent.
POPs are chemical substances that are persistent, accumulate in living tissues, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment.
While the land, water, and air may be contaminated by work processes, you are the most likely to be contaminated. There are even international standards guiding how much you can be contaminated.
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DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS