Environmental Pollution Terms

noun a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell, used in cleaning products and fertilizers

• Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3.
• I accidentally spilled some ammonia while cleaning the bathroom.
• I can't stand the smell of that ammonia stuff, it's so strong.
• His words hit me like a wave of ammonia, harsh and overwhelming.

adjective Contaminated is an adjective that describes something that has been polluted, tainted, or made impure by contact with a harmful substance.

• The water supply was found to be contaminated with high levels of lead.
• I heard that the food at that restaurant was contaminated and made a lot of people sick.
• Don't eat those chips, they look contaminated with something gross.
• Her mind was contaminated with negative thoughts, affecting her outlook on life.

noun a liquid fossil fuel

• The price of crude oil has been fluctuating due to global demand and supply factors.
• I heard that the cost of crude oil is going up again.
• They struck it rich when they hit a gusher of crude oil on their land.
• His emotions were like crude oil, bubbling up to the surface uncontrollably.

noun a formal written statement, typically taken from a witness under oath.

• The lawyer scheduled a deposition to gather evidence for the case.
• I have to give a deposition at the lawyer's office next week.
• I heard the deposition was a total snoozefest.
• The deposition of knowledge from the expert witness was crucial for the trial.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used to indicate the type of reference being made to a noun

• The company's investment went down the drain after the project failed.
• All that money we spent on the concert tickets went down the drain when it got canceled.
• I can't believe all my hard work studying for the test went down the drain because I overslept.
• Her dreams of becoming a singer went down the drain when she lost her voice.

noun the act of belching or emitting gas from the stomach through the mouth

verb to belch or emit gas from the stomach through the mouth

• The medical term for burping is 'eructation'.
• I couldn't help but eruct after drinking that fizzy soda.
• I eructed so loudly, my friends couldn't stop laughing.
• The volcano seemed to eruct fire and ash into the sky.

noun a state of being filled with or containing waste matter; impurity

adjective pertaining to or characteristic of waste matter; foul; dirty

• The scientist studied the feculence found in the water sample.
• Eww, there's feculence in the pond water!
• I can't believe the amount of feculence in that sewer.
• The corruption in the government was compared to the feculence in a polluted river.

noun A chamber in which a poisonous gas is used to kill people or animals

• The gas chamber was used as a method of execution in some historical contexts.
• They say the old abandoned building used to house a gas chamber.
• That place gives me the creeps, it feels like a gas chamber in there.
• The tension in the room was so thick, it felt like a gas chamber waiting to explode.

noun a quality or state of being greasy; the characteristic of being oily or slippery

• The greasiness of the food was off-putting to many diners.
• I can't stand the greasiness of that pizza, it's too much for me.
• That burger joint is known for their greasiness, but it's so good!
• The greasiness of the situation made it difficult to navigate.

noun a human being, especially an adult male

adjective made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally

• The man made structure stood tall against the skyline.
• The man made bridge was a convenient shortcut for the locals.
• That man made sculpture is pretty cool, don't you think?
• His smile was like a man made facade, hiding his true emotions.

verb to render ineffective or neutral; counteract

• The scientist was able to neutralize the acidic solution by adding a base.
• I heard that they were able to neutralize the rumors by providing evidence.
• We need to find a way to neutralize the haters and their negative comments.
• The superhero used his powers to neutralize the threat and save the city.

verb to contaminate or make impure, especially by introducing harmful substances

• Industrial activities often pollute the air and water sources.
• Throwing trash into the river will pollute it.
• Stop littering, you're just polluting the environment.
• Negative thoughts can pollute the mind and hinder personal growth.

adjective describing something that has been contaminated or made impure by pollutants

• The river became heavily polluted due to industrial waste dumping.
• The lake is so polluted that you can't even swim in it anymore.
• That beach is totally polluted, dude.
• His mind was polluted with negative thoughts.

noun a putrid smell or substance

adjective in a state of foul decay or decomposition; rotten

• The putrid smell coming from the dumpster was unbearable.
• Ew, that leftover food in the fridge is starting to smell putrid.
• I can't believe you're still wearing those putrid sneakers.
• The corruption in that company's leadership was like a putrid disease spreading throughout the organization.

noun the property of certain substances to spontaneously emit radiation, often in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves

adjective relating to or exhibiting radioactivity

• The scientist conducted a study on the effects of radioactivity on living organisms.
• I heard that radioactivity can be harmful if not properly handled.
• Dude, stay away from that area, it's full of radioactivity!
• The tension between them was like radioactivity, always present and potentially harmful.

adjective in widespread existence; prevalent

• Corruption is rife in many developing countries.
• Cheating is rife in that class, everyone does it.
• Fake news is rife on social media these days.
• The tension in the room was so thick, it was rife with unspoken emotions.

noun the draining away of water (or substances carried in it) from the surface of an area of land, a building or structure, etc.

• The runoff from the heavy rain caused flooding in the streets.
• After the storm, there was a lot of runoff in the yard.
• I slipped on the runoff from the sprinklers and fell on my butt.
• The runoff of ideas from the brainstorming session was impressive.

noun fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited as a sediment, especially in a channel or harbor

• The silt in the riverbed is being carefully studied by geologists.
• I got my shoes all dirty from walking through that silt near the river.
• I can't believe I got stuck in that silt while trying to cross the stream.
• The silt of doubt clouded his mind, making it hard for him to think clearly.

noun a substance that is able to dissolve other substances

adjective able to dissolve other substances

• The scientist used a specific solvent to dissolve the compound.
• I need to get some solvent to clean up this mess.
• Hey, pass me that solvent so I can fix this quickly.
• Communication is the solvent that dissolves misunderstandings in relationships.

noun A quantity of liquid that has been spilled or an instance of spilling

verb To cause or allow to run or fall from a container, especially accidentally or wastefully

• The spill of oil from the tanker caused extensive damage to the marine ecosystem.
• Oops, I accidentally spilled my coffee on the table.
• Don't spill the tea about what happened last night!
• Her emotions were about to spill over as she struggled to keep them in check.

adjective describing something that has not been fully broken down or absorbed, usually referring to food in the digestive system

• The undigested food particles were visible in the patient's stool during the examination.
• I can't believe you ate so quickly, there's undigested food in your plate!
• I feel so bloated after eating that pizza, there's undigested stuff in my stomach.
• The undigested emotions from the argument lingered in the air long after they had made up.

noun a substance that emits a pleasant or distinctive smell

• The odorant used in the perfume industry must meet strict quality standards.
• I can't stand the smell of that odorant they use in the bathroom.
• This odorant is so strong, it's making me gag.
• The odorant of nostalgia filled the air as she walked through her childhood home.

noun a type of hydrocarbon compound that consists entirely of single-bonded carbon and hydrogen atoms

• The alkane series is a group of hydrocarbons with single bonds between carbon atoms.
• Alkanes are simple molecules made up of only carbon and hydrogen atoms.
• I prefer working with alkanes because they're easy to understand.
• In the chemistry world, alkanes are like the building blocks for more complex compounds.

noun the ability of a material to soak up liquid or moisture

• The fabric's absorbency is tested by measuring how much liquid it can soak up.
• These paper towels have great absorbency, they soak up spills in no time.
• I need to find a towel with high absorbency for this mess.
• His absorbency of information was impressive, he remembered every detail.

verb to make something impure or lower in quality by adding another substance

• The company was fined for adulterating their products with harmful chemicals.
• I heard they got caught adulterating the ingredients in their food.
• They were busted for adulterating the drinks at the bar.
• His lies were like adulterating the truth, twisting it into something unrecognizable.