kontaminoitu

Kontaminoitu is a Finnish adjective meaning "contaminated," used to describe substances, materials, or environments that have been fouled or polluted by unwanted substances such as chemicals, biological agents, or radioactive materials. The term appears across environmental science, health and safety, food safety, industry, and media to indicate the presence of contaminants that may pose health or safety risks. Common usages include kontaminoitu vesi (contaminated water), kontaminoitu pintaa (contaminated surface), and kontaminoitunut ruoka (contaminated food).

Etymology and related forms: kontaminoida means "to contaminate" and is a loanword from Swedish kontaminera, which in turn derives from Latin contaminare, meaning to soil or pollute. The noun kontaminaatio denotes the contamination itself. The adjective forms include kontaminoitu (contaminated) and kontaminoitunut, with nuanced usage depending on context.

Usage notes: In risk assessment and reporting, kontaminoitu signals a state that may require decontamination, remediation, or mitigation. Contamination can be chemical, biological, radiological, or mixed, and is typically described in terms of concentration, dose, or adherent surface contamination. The term often appears in safety regulations, environmental monitoring, food safety, and public health communications.

See also: kontaminaatio, kontaminaattori, puhdistus, desinfektio, radiologinen turvallisuus, ympäristöterveys, elintarvikevalvonta.