as in contaminants
something that is or that makes impure
filtered the pollutants out of the water
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Recent Examples of pollutants
More rural parts of the country can also see overflows from factory farms, leading to large amounts of animal waste and other pollutants ending up in ponds, lakes and rivers.
—
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
The pollutants that were pumped into the river, unregulated for decades, pose the biggest threat to its ecosystem.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Environmental scientists could use it to detect pollutants or hazardous compounds at trace levels with unprecedented reliability.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
When air is stagnant, pollutants don't get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
The atmospheric composition instrument, for example, would have enabled scientists to more precisely measure air pollutants, which could help reduce health risks from wildfire smoke events.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Even as particulate matter air pollutants from vehicles and industry declined, CO2 emissions from cars and trucks rose by 19% between 1990 and 2022.
—Marianne Krasny, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
This approach turns one of the world’s most common pollutants into a valuable construction material.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2025
This large room air purifier is a favorite among Amazon shoppers for combating airborne allergens, germs, and other pollutants like unwanted odors.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
The pollutants that were pumped into the river, unregulated for decades, pose the biggest threat to its ecosystem.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Environmental scientists could use it to detect pollutants or hazardous compounds at trace levels with unprecedented reliability.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
When air is stagnant, pollutants don't get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
The atmospheric composition instrument, for example, would have enabled scientists to more precisely measure air pollutants, which could help reduce health risks from wildfire smoke events.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Even as particulate matter air pollutants from vehicles and industry declined, CO2 emissions from cars and trucks rose by 19% between 1990 and 2022.
—Marianne Krasny, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
This approach turns one of the world’s most common pollutants into a valuable construction material.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2025
This large room air purifier is a favorite among Amazon shoppers for combating airborne allergens, germs, and other pollutants like unwanted odors.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollutants
contaminants
Noun
-
Or just smarter smoke alarms and radon detectors that also check for dozens of different contaminants.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Always obtain the certificate of analysis for any product and check the chain of custody to verify the source and confirm there are no contaminants.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pollutants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollutants. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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