disinfection

[ dis-in-fek-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of cleansing or purifying a room, wound, item of clothing, etc., of germs that cause disease:

   After disinfection is complete, the treated water is reintroduced back into the river to support aquatic life, recreation, and downstream drinking water supplies.

Word History and Origins

Origin of disinfection¹

disinfect + -ion

Example Sentences

While authorities said the health of the remaining 78 mammals in the zoo was "normal", the mammals section has been closed since 14 October for disinfection and cleaning.

From BBC

THM4 was the most abundant, and additionally, various unregulated disinfection byproducts were produced.

From Science Daily

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Chronic exposure to disinfection byproducts may increase risk of cancer. Humans exposed to unusually large amounts of some disinfection byproducts could experience liver damage and decreased nervous system activity."

From Science Daily

During the lab process, control reactors containing either only free chlorine or only petroleum hydrocarbons produced significantly lower or no detectable levels of disinfection byproducts, which indicated that the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons and free chlorine together was responsible for the elevated disinfection byproduct concentrations.

From Science Daily

"This study reveals that when unaltered petroleum hydrocarbons come into contact with free chlorine, commonly used in water treatment, they can produce higher levels of regulated disinfection byproducts. Understanding the potential risks during both water treatment and distribution is important for safeguarding water quality and protecting human health."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• purification
• sanitation
• sterilization
• washing