Contamination or Pollution?

Concerned companies working for the future
They are essentially the same thing so how we use them is what sets them apart.
You POLLUTE the environment in general: water sources, the land, and the air. You can also say CONTAMINATE in these cases, though it is rarely used in this context and some even consider it a bit archaic.
You CONTAMINATE when you make something impure as when you introduce a foreign element into something else that has remained untouched up to that point. Therefore, the scope of CONTAMINATION is not as large as that of POLLUTION and is often used to refer to small environments such as labs or kitchens where there are products so susceptible of losing purity that even with a small quantity they would be rendered useless.  
This query was suggested by Fernando Toala, a colleague of mine. Thanks, Fernando!

Comments

DANIELA IBARRA said…
The words have the same mean but your use depend of context.
June 14, 2021 at 7:46 PM
Juan Jesús said…
It is helpful when we want to emphasize an action. In general, knowing the moments what we can apply each word is helpful.
June 14, 2021 at 7:48 PM
Kymberlyn Carriel said…
Even when their meanings are the same, it’s important to know when we have to use each word depending on its context because perhaps what we say could be understood differently.
Interesting!
June 14, 2021 at 7:56 PM
Angie Rodriguez said…
It is very interesting to know the meaning of these words to know when we should use them depending on the context.
June 14, 2021 at 8:10 PM
Johanna Arteaga said…
I remember being told that "pollute" was the most appropriate way to express that circumstance but I never asked why, good to finally know what the difference is.
June 14, 2021 at 8:42 PM
Manuel Erazo said…
I didn't know the magnitude of each one now I know it, good information thank you.
June 14, 2021 at 8:47 PM
Saraí Pesantes Parreño said…
Now I know that depending on the context I can use either one or the other. Good to know! Thank you for the information, I learnt something new today and that's awesome.
June 14, 2021 at 9:59 PM
Arly Lopez said…
Interesting that although both words mean the same they are used in different contexts depending on what you want to express. Thanks to these little vlogs, every day I learn something new.
June 14, 2021 at 10:12 PM
Torres Alvear Odette said…
It is interesting to learn this, they have the same meaning but you have to know in what context to use each word so that it is better understood
June 14, 2021 at 10:20 PM
Samuel Macías said…
This information is very interesting because sometimes we can make grammatical mistakes, so it is important to learn the use of words and the context to be used correctly.
June 14, 2021 at 10:44 PM
Blanca Landivar said…
I find it really interesting to know that although two words have the same meaning, they must be used in different contexts ..! It is very interesting and educational to use them in the correct way.
June 14, 2021 at 11:08 PM
Alejandra Del Valle said…
Yes! Thanks Mr. Fernando Toala!!! As a matter of fact, I didn't know that the use of "contaminate" was considered archaic by some. I've always used "pollution" instead but it is good to know why it isn't proper to use "contaminate" in the context of "global warming".
June 15, 2021 at 12:09 AM
Cynthia Rizzo said…
CYNTHIA RIZZO PAGUAY
I have always had my doubt about the difference in the use of these two words, but thanks to this information I understand much better the use between contamination and pollution.
June 15, 2021 at 12:31 AM
Suleyka Tello Bermudez said…
It is very important to know the correct use of each of the words because it would change the context of what is being spoken.
June 15, 2021 at 7:12 AM
Ginger Alvia González said…
I did not know about that. However, it is important to know it to avoid using them in a wrong way.
June 15, 2021 at 12:30 PM
LILIANA EDITH ROMERO MEDINA said…
Interesting to know that if we talk about global warming, pollute consider archaic form, pollutes do something impure and pollution used for small environments like laboratories know that they may have the same meaning but it is not, as they say it is essentially the same but we use it to distinguish.
June 15, 2021 at 4:32 PM
Unknown said…
Dave Criollo

Thanks,now I can differentiate between pollution and contamination. I have always used the word "pollution".
June 15, 2021 at 6:07 PM
Emily Saca Salinas said…
It is certainly a great explanation to take into consideration. I didn't know about the fact that the term contamination was a little archaic, I just knew that it was better to use pollution instead of the first term. Fortunately, now I know some differences between them thanks to this instructive post.
June 15, 2021 at 10:39 PM
Evelin Arellano said…
It's very interesting to kown this, the difference between pollution and contaminate I Known now.
I've never though about it but it helps to increase our vocabulary and be ready when we become teachers.
June 15, 2021 at 11:27 PM
Ferruzola Martínez Rita said…
Thanks for the information, it is really helpful because I didn't know it in which context is the properly use of these expressions.
June 16, 2021 at 11:21 AM
Alejandra Coronel Guzhñay said…
A few semesters ago, Miss Glenda taught us the Sustainable Development Goals, in fact, she made us memorize them all. I learned more than I already knew, she explained the difference between the two words to me.
June 16, 2021 at 11:53 AM
Briggitte Vera said…
I have no idea about the use of these words, I used to use them in whathever context but now I get it.. Thanks Mr. Bermúdez
June 17, 2021 at 12:38 AM
Nicole Cedeño Gines said…
:o I thought we could use either of these two words regardless of the context. Thanks for the information.
June 18, 2021 at 2:14 PM
Ericka Zambrano said…
So, they have the same meaning but different uses depending of the context. Really useful information! You are always giving us good "tips".
July 4, 2021 at 4:04 PM
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