pollutare

Pollutare is an Italian transitive verb meaning to pollute, contaminate, or render impure. It refers to introducing substances or energy that degrades the quality of air, water, soil, or ecosystems, or that harms human health. In common usage and many scientific contexts, the more widespread term is inquinare, but pollutare appears in formal or technical registers and in translations from English.

Etymology and forms: The verb is derived from the Latin polluere, “to soil,” and entered Italian through Romance-language contact, likely via French polluer or directly from Latin. The standard noun for pollution in Italian is inquinamento; pollutazione (the act or process of polluting) exists in some technical texts but is far less common.

Usage and register: Pollutare tends to appear in legal, regulatory, or formal scientific writing, and in translations from English “to pollute.” It can carry a sense of deliberate or negligent contamination depending on context, though this nuance is shaped by accompanying terms and the broader discourse. In everyday Italian, inquinare is usually preferred for general pollution.

Examples and context: Expressions might include polluttare l’aria, polluttare l’acqua, or polluttare il suolo with explicit references to pollutants (inquinanti) such as chemicals, heavy metals, plastics, or particulates. Policies and assessments commonly address the polluting activities themselves, the substances involved, and the resulting environmental and health impacts.

Regulation and impact: Pollution-control laws, environmental impact assessments, and international agreements regulate activities that pollute air, water, and soil, set emission and effluent standards, and aim to reduce exposure to harmful pollutants to protect ecosystems and public health.