as in pollutants
something that is or that makes impure
a filter to remove contaminants from the drinking water
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Recent Examples of contaminants
Many samples taken from incoming mail have contaminants on the paper or in the ink, Walsh said.
—
Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Initiating this process could lead to further regulation and limits on the contaminants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
Afterwards, the agency must determine whether to regulate at least five contaminants from the list.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency is adding these microplastics to a list of drinking water contaminants the agency is considering for future regulation.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
In all, lining up the funding to thoroughly remove asbestos, PCBs and other contaminants from the three primary mills — Daniel’s, Amerbelle and Anocoil — and two smaller connected buildings has taken a decade.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Higher water levels could bring radioactive contaminants further into the Pacific Ocean.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 31 Mar. 2026
Hazards such as lead and other heavy metals, contaminants like PFAS and forever chemicals may be found in water throughout Indiana.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
Using a combination of durable ceramic materials and specialized membranes, the filtration unit can remove extremely small contaminants while maintaining stable operation through a self-cleaning thermal mechanism that prevents buildup and degradation over time.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Initiating this process could lead to further regulation and limits on the contaminants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
Afterwards, the agency must determine whether to regulate at least five contaminants from the list.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency is adding these microplastics to a list of drinking water contaminants the agency is considering for future regulation.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
In all, lining up the funding to thoroughly remove asbestos, PCBs and other contaminants from the three primary mills — Daniel’s, Amerbelle and Anocoil — and two smaller connected buildings has taken a decade.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Higher water levels could bring radioactive contaminants further into the Pacific Ocean.
—Devika Rao, TheWeek, 31 Mar. 2026
Hazards such as lead and other heavy metals, contaminants like PFAS and forever chemicals may be found in water throughout Indiana.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
Using a combination of durable ceramic materials and specialized membranes, the filtration unit can remove extremely small contaminants while maintaining stable operation through a self-cleaning thermal mechanism that prevents buildup and degradation over time.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contaminants
pollutants
Noun
-
Research shows the area releases millions of particles, aerosols and molecules of dangerous pollutants into the air — including hydrogen sulfide, which has twice spiked to record levels in the last two weeks, according to data from the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Authorities ordered the evacuation of all personnel and said any potential pollutants don’t pose a risk to nearby cities, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contaminants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contaminants. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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