# Pollution vocabulary — B2

https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-b2

- Title: Pollution Upper Intermediate
- CEFR: B2 (Upper-intermediate)
- Theme: Nature & Environment
- Words: 18

Pollution vocabulary for news and discussion about the environment, covering emissions, toxic waste, acid rain and groundwater, and ideas like biodegradable…

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## Word list

* **contaminate** /kənˈtæməˌneɪt/: to make water, food or land dirty or unsafe by adding a harmful substance — “Chemicals from the factory could **contaminate** the village's drinking water.”
* **emissions** /ɪˈmɪʃənz/: gases or other substances sent out into the air, for example by cars and factories — “The government wants to cut **emissions** from cars by half.”
* **toxic waste**: rubbish from factories that is poisonous and dangerous to people and nature — “They found barrels of **toxic waste** hidden in the woods.”
* **acid rain**: water falling from the clouds that harms plants and buildings because the air has dirty gases in it — “**Acid rain** has damaged many of the old stone statues here.”
* **biodegradable** /ˌbaɪoʊdəˈɡreɪdəbəl/: able to break down naturally in the earth without harming nature — “These plates are **biodegradable**, so you can put them in the compost.”
* **hazardous** /ˈhæzərdəs/: very dangerous, especially to people's health or safety — “Workers must wear masks when handling **hazardous** materials.”
* **pollutant** /pəˈlutənt/: a substance that makes air, water or soil dirty and harmful — “Sulphur dioxide is a major **pollutant** in many big cities.”
* **carbon dioxide**: the gas that people and animals make when they breathe out, and that is also made when fuel is burned; plants take it in — “Trees take in **carbon dioxide** and give out oxygen.”
* **waste disposal**: the way rubbish is taken away and got rid of safely — “Our town has a new system for **waste disposal**.”
* **incinerator** /ˌɪnˈsɪnərˌeɪtər/: a large machine or building where rubbish is burned — “The new **incinerator** burns rubbish and makes electricity for the town.”
* **run-off**: rainwater that flows over the ground and carries dirt or chemicals into rivers — “**Run-off** from the farm has turned the stream green.”
* **light pollution**: Too much bright glow from street lamps and buildings that hides the stars at night. — “**Light pollution** makes it almost impossible to see stars from the city.”
* **groundwater** /ˈɡraʊnˌdwɑtər/: water that is stored under the earth and comes up in wells and springs — “Fertiliser can slowly seep into the **groundwater** below the fields.”
* **dumping** /ˈdʌmpɪŋ/: getting rid of rubbish in a place where it is not allowed — “**Dumping** old fridges in the forest is against the law.”
* **ozone layer**: the thin part of the sky that protects the Earth from the Sun's harmful rays — “Some old chemicals were harming the **ozone layer** above the poles.”
* **clean-up operation**: a big, organised job to remove dirt or damage after an accident — “A huge **clean-up operation** began on the beach after the leak.”
* **e-waste**: Old phones, computers and other electrical goods that people throw away. — “Mountains of **e-waste** are shipped abroad every year.”
* **air quality index**: A number that shows how much harmful dirt is in the air we breathe on a particular day. — “Schools stayed closed because the **air quality index** was far too high.”

## Other levels

- [Pollution · A1](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-a1) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-a1.md
- [Pollution · A2](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-a2) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-a2.md
- [Pollution · B1](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-b1) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-b1.md
- [Pollution · C1](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-c1) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-c1.md
- [Pollution · C2](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-c2) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/pollution-c2.md

## More Nature & Environment vocabulary — B2

- [Wild Animals](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/birds-b2) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/birds-b2.md
- [Farm Animals](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/farm-and-domestic-animals-b2) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/farm-and-domestic-animals-b2.md
- [Land Mammals](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/land-mammals-b2) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/land-mammals-b2.md
- [More Land Mammals](https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/land-mammals-2-b2) — markdown: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/land-mammals-2-b2.md

## Related

- All Nature & Environment sets: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary#nature-environment
- Vocabulary library: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary
- Section guide: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/llms.txt