A contaminant is the unwanted stuff itself — a chemical, a germ, a metal, a bit of dirt — that has got into water, food, air, soil, or medicine and made it less clean or less safe.

A contaminant汙染物 is就是 the unwanted stuff itself那個不想要的東西本身 — a chemical化學物質, a germ細菌, a metal金屬, a bit of dirt一點髒東西 — that has got into water, food, air, soil, or medicine跑進了水、食物、空氣、土壤或藥裡 and made it less clean or less safe讓它變得比較不乾淨、比較不安全

Scientists, food factories, and water companies use this word; at the table people say 'there's something in it.' One accident can leave several contaminants behind. Keep the family straight: contaminate is the verb (to make it dirty or unsafe), contamination is the mess or the event, and a contaminant is one of the things doing the harm.

Scientists, food factories, and water companies科學家、食品工廠和自來水公司 use this word會用這個字; at the table people say 'there's something in it.'在餐桌上大家就說「裡面有東西」 One accident一次意外 can leave several contaminants behind可能留下好幾種汙染物. Keep the family straight把這一家子字搞清楚: contaminate is the verb (to make it dirty or unsafe)contaminate是動詞（弄髒、弄得不安全）, contamination is the mess or the eventcontamination是那個髒亂或那件事本身, and a contaminant is one of the things doing the harm而contaminant則是造成傷害的東西之一

Though actually, news sometimes says contaminant and pollution as if they were twins. Pollution is the big dirty picture; a contaminant is a piece of what caused it.

Though actually不過其實, news sometimes says contaminant and pollution as if they were twins新聞有時候把contaminant和pollution講得好像是雙胞胎. Pollution is the big dirty picturepollution是那個大的、髒的整體畫面; a contaminant is a piece of what caused ita contaminant是造成那個畫面的其中一小塊

A contaminant need not be a poison, and it need not be alive — plastic dust in salt is a contaminant too.

A contaminant need not be a poisonA contaminant不必是毒藥, and it need not be alive也不必是活的 — plastic dust in salt鹽裡的塑膠粉塵 is a contaminant too也算是a contaminant