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Decontamination (sometimes abbreviated as decon, dcon, or decontam) is the process of removing contaminants on an object or area, including chemicals, micro-organisms, and/or radioactive substances. This may be achieved by chemical reaction, disinfection, and/or physical removal. It refers to specific action taken to reduce the hazard posed by such contaminants, as opposed to general cleaning.
Decontamination is most commonly used in medical environments, including dentistry, surgery, and veterinary science, in the process of food preparation, in environmental science,[1] and in forensic science.[2]
Methods of decontamination include:[3]
A variety of decontaminations methods may be used, including physical processes such as distillation, and chemical cleansers such as alcohols and detergents.