Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'pollutant'

English Word: pollutant

Key Russian Translations:

• загрязнитель /zəɡrʲɪzˈnʲitʲɛlʲ/ - [Formal, used in scientific and environmental contexts]
• загрязняющее вещество /zəɡrʲɪzˈnʲæʊʃʲɛ vɛˈʂɛstvə/ - [Formal, Technical, often in regulatory or industrial settings]

Frequency: Medium - This term is commonly encountered in environmental discussions, scientific literature, and news related to pollution, but not in everyday casual conversation.

Difficulty: B2 - Intermediate level, as it involves specialized vocabulary in environmental science; learners at this stage should be familiar with basic noun declensions and technical terms.

Pronunciation (Russian):

загрязнитель: /zəɡrʲɪzˈnʲitʲɛlʲ/

загрязняющее вещество: /zəɡrʲɪzˈnʲæʊʃʲɛ vɛˈʂɛstvə/

Note on загрязнитель: The stress falls on the third syllable ("nʲitʲ"), which can be tricky for English speakers due to the palatalized consonants; practice with native audio for accurate soft sounds.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

The primary meaning: A substance or agent that causes pollution, typically in environmental contexts.

Translation(s) & Context:

• загрязнитель - Used in formal discussions about environmental harm, such as in reports on air or water quality; appropriate for scientific or official contexts.
• загрязняющее вещество - Employed in technical fields like chemistry or policy-making, emphasizing the material nature of the pollutant.

Usage Examples:

• Промышленные загрязнители, такие как углекислый газ, наносят вред экосистемам.

  Industrial pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, harm ecosystems.

• Правительство ввело строгие меры по контролю за загрязняющими веществами в реках.

  The government has introduced strict measures to control polluting substances in rivers.

• Автомобили являются основными загрязнителями воздуха в крупных городах.

  Cars are the primary pollutants of air in major cities.

• Химические загрязнители в океане угрожают морской фауне.

  Chemical pollutants in the ocean threaten marine wildlife.

• Для снижения уровня загрязняющих веществ предприятия должны использовать современные фильтры.

  To reduce the level of polluting substances, companies must use modern filters.

Secondary meaning: In a broader sense, any factor contributing to contamination (e.g., metaphorical use in non-environmental contexts).

Translation(s) & Context:

• загрязнитель - Occasionally used metaphorically, such as in discussions of social or digital "pollution," but less common.

Usage Examples:

• Социальные сети могут стать загрязнителями человеческого внимания.

  Social media can become pollutants of human attention.

• Некоторые добавки в пище являются загрязнителями, влияющими на здоровье.

  Some additives in food are pollutants that affect health.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are nouns. "Загрязнитель" is a masculine noun (3rd declension), which follows standard Russian noun patterns with regular inflections. "Загрязняющее вещество" is a neuter noun phrase, where "вещество" (substance) is neuter and inflects accordingly.

Note: These forms are regular, but pay attention to the adjective "загрязняющее" in the second term, which agrees with "вещество" in gender, number, and case.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • загрязняющий агент - Similar to "polluting agent," used in technical contexts.
  • контаминант - A borrowed term, more direct equivalent in scientific English-Russian translation.
• Antonyms:
  • очиститель - Cleaner or purifier, used for substances that remove pollution.
  • нейтрализатор - Neutralizer, especially in chemical contexts.

Related Phrases:

• Источник загрязнения - Source of pollution; refers to the origin of pollutants in environmental discussions.
• Уровень загрязнителей - Level of pollutants; commonly used in air quality reports.
• Контроль загрязняющих веществ - Control of polluting substances; related to regulatory measures.

Usage Notes:

In Russian, "загрязнитель" directly corresponds to "pollutant" in environmental contexts and is preferred in formal writing. Choose "загрязняющее вещество" for more precise, technical descriptions involving materials. Be mindful of noun gender and case agreement; for example, it must agree with modifiers in sentences. This term is neutral in tone but is most common in professional or educational settings rather than casual speech.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "загрязнитель" without proper declension, e.g., saying "в загрязнитель" instead of "в загрязнителе" (in the pollutant). Correct: Ensure the prepositional case is used correctly. Explanation: Russian requires nouns to change based on their role in the sentence, which English speakers often overlook.

• Error: Confusing with "загрязнение" (pollution itself), leading to misuse like "загрязнение" for "pollutant." Correct: Use "загрязнитель" for the agent. Explanation: "Загрязнение" is a noun meaning the act or state of pollution, not the substance.

Cultural Notes:

In Russia, terms like "загрязнитель" are particularly relevant due to historical and ongoing environmental issues, such as pollution from industrial sites in cities like Moscow or from the Chernobyl disaster. This vocabulary often appears in public health campaigns, reflecting a cultural emphasis on environmental protection amid rapid industrialization.

Related Concepts:

• экология
• загрязнение
• промышленные отходы