Physical removal of contaminants

Physical removal of contaminants refers to procedures and technologies designed to *mechanically* separate or dislodge unwanted substances from surfaces, environments, or within fluids. Common processes include filtration, settling, screening, wiping, rinsing, scraping, dredging, evaporation, air stripping, and centrifugation[1][9][5][7]. These methods are foundational in environmental remediation (e.g., for soil and water), laboratory and clinical decontamination, and wastewater treatment. Physical removal does not involve specific molecular recognition events, but relies on physical properties such as particle size, volatility, and adherence. It is often used as a first step before subsequent chemical or biological treatment, or in settings where chemical/biological methods are not suitable[1][9][7][5]. Because this is a process rather than a molecular target, it is not involved with therapeutics, biomarkers, or drug mechanisms of action. The term is sometimes used in regulatory, safety, and engineering contexts and is not suitable as an entry in structured molecular target databases like those for receptors or enzymes. If you intended a molecular or cellular target, a more specific name or abbreviation would be required.

Other names

Physical decontaminationmechanical removalfiltrationsedimentationscreeningair strippingphysical remediation