Internally Peer Reviewed Contamination is the introduction of microorganisms into tissues or sterile materials.
Sterilization is the complete killing of all organisms.
BW agents can be decontaminated by mechanical, chemical and physical methods. Decontamination methods have always played an important role in the control of infectious diseases. Mechanical decontamination involves measures to remove but not necessarily neutralize an agent. Chemical decontamination renders BW agents harmless by the use of disinfectants which are usually in the form of a liquid, gas or aerosol. Dermal exposure with a suspected BW agent should be immediately treated by soap and water decontamination.