36 lines
1.3 KiB
Markdown
36 lines
1.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "Decontamination"
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chunk: 1/1
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source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decontamination"
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category: "reference"
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tags: "science, encyclopedia"
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date_saved: "2026-05-05T11:58:37.083300+00:00"
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instance: "kb-cron"
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---
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Decontamination (sometimes abbreviated as decon, dcon, or decontam) is the process of removing contaminants on an object or area, including chemicals, micro-organisms, and/or radioactive substances. This may be achieved by chemical reaction, disinfection, and/or physical removal. It refers to specific action taken to reduce the hazard posed by such contaminants, as opposed to general cleaning.
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Decontamination is most commonly used in medical environments, including dentistry, surgery, and veterinary science, in the process of food preparation, in environmental science, and in forensic science.
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== Methods ==
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Methods of decontamination include:
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Antisepsis
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Disinfection
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Physical cleaning
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Sterilization (microbiology)
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Ultrasonic cleaning
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Water purification
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A variety of decontaminations methods may be used, including physical processes such as distillation, and chemical cleansers such as alcohols and detergents.
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== See also ==
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Decontamination foam
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Dry decontamination
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Environmental remediation
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Groundwater decontamination
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Human decontamination
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Soil decontamination
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== References == |