Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'effluent'

English Word: effluent

Key Russian Translations:

• сточные воды [ˈstɐt͡ɕnɨjə ˈvodɨ] - [Formal, Technical]

Frequency: Medium (Common in environmental, engineering, and scientific contexts, but less frequent in everyday conversation.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; Requires familiarity with technical vocabulary and basic Russian noun-adjective agreement, as it involves compound phrases.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

сточные воды: [ˈstɐt͡ɕnɨjə ˈvodɨ]

Note on сточные воды: The stress falls on the first syllable of "сточные" and the first syllable of "воды." The "ч" in "сточные" is a palatalized affricate, which can be challenging for English speakers; it sounds like "ch" in "church" but softer.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Primary Meaning: Liquid waste or outflow from industrial processes, sewers, etc.

Translation(s) & Context:

• сточные воды - Used in formal, technical, or environmental contexts to refer to wastewater or effluents in water treatment and pollution discussions.

Usage Examples:

• В реке обнаружили сточные воды от фабрики, что привело к экологической катастрофе.

  In the river, they discovered effluent from the factory, which led to an environmental disaster.

• Очистные сооружения предназначены для обработки сточных вод из города.

  Treatment plants are designed for processing urban effluent.

• Промышленные сточные воды должны проходить тщательную фильтрацию перед сбросом в океан.

  Industrial effluents must undergo thorough filtration before being discharged into the ocean.

• Из-за утечки сточных вод в озере погибли тысячи рыб.

  Due to the leak of effluent into the lake, thousands of fish died.

• Городские власти инвестируют в модернизацию систем для сбора сточных вод.

  City authorities are investing in the modernization of systems for collecting effluent.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

"Сточные воды" is a noun phrase where "сточные" is an adjective agreeing with the noun "воды" (waters, plural nominative of "вода"). Russian adjectives change based on gender, number, and case, while nouns inflect for case, number, and sometimes gender.

For "сточные воды," the adjective "сточные" inflects as follows (based on the plural form of "вода," which is feminine):

Note: This phrase is typically used in plural form in technical contexts and follows standard first-declension patterns for feminine nouns and adjectives.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • отходы (ótkhody) - General waste, but less specific to liquids.
  • выбросы (vybrósy) - Emissions or discharges, often used for air or water.
• Antonyms:
  • чистая вода (chístaya voda) - Clean water.
  • питьевая вода (pítyevaya voda) - Potable water.

Related Phrases:

• промышленные сточные воды - Industrial effluent; Refers to waste from factories or manufacturing processes.
• очистка сточных вод - Effluent treatment; Common in environmental engineering contexts.
• сброс сточных вод - Discharge of effluent; Used when discussing pollution or waste management.

Usage Notes:

"Сточные воды" directly corresponds to "effluent" in English, particularly in environmental and technical contexts. It is a formal term and should be used in professional or scientific discussions rather than casual conversation. Note the gender and case agreement: the adjective "сточные" must agree with "воды" in number and case. When choosing translations, prefer "сточные воды" for liquid waste over more general terms like "отходы" to maintain precision. In Russian, this phrase often appears in plural form and is commonly paired with verbs like "очищать" (to treat) or "сбрасывать" (to discharge).

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "сточная вода" in singular when referring to general or multiple sources of effluent. Correct: In Russian, "сточные воды" is preferred in plural for collective or unspecified instances. Example of error: "Сточная вода от фабрики" (implying only one source), but better as "Сточные воды от фабрики" for accuracy.

• Error: Confusing with "выбросы," which can mean air emissions. Correct: Specify "сточные воды" for liquid waste to avoid ambiguity. Example of error: Saying "выбросы в реку" for river pollution; Correct: "сточные воды в реку."

Cultural Notes:

In Russia, discussions around "сточные воды" are often tied to environmental challenges, such as pollution in major rivers like the Volga, due to historical industrialization. This term highlights ongoing efforts in water conservation and compliance with international standards, reflecting Russia's commitment to addressing legacy pollution from the Soviet era.

Related Concepts:

• загрязнение (pollution)
• очистные сооружения (treatment facilities)
• экология (ecology)