Contamination is the process or condition by which an object, an environment, a product or a surface becomes contaminated or polluted with foreign or undesirable substances, microorganisms, particles or harmful substances. This can happen in undesirable ways and in the context of various fields such as medicine, pharmacy, food processing, research, manufacturing and more.

Contamination can be microbiological (caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or fungi), chemical (caused by chemicals) or physical (caused by particles or objects that can enter the environment or the product in an undesirable way).

In pharmaceutical production, contamination (German translation: Kontamination) means the undesired introduction of foreign substances, microorganisms or particles into pharmaceutical products or the environment, which can impair the quality, efficacy and safety of the drugs produced. Contamination can occur at various stages of pharmaceutical manufacture and can be microbiological, chemical or physical in nature.

• Microbiological contamination: The term refers to the introduction of bacteria, fungi or viruses into drugs or production media. This can occur if the production media have not been properly sterilized or if the manufacturing and hygiene instructions have not been adhered to.
• Chemical contamination: This refers to contamination with chemicals (translation into German: Chemikalien) that are not part of the drug formulation and may be hazardous to health. Examples are residues of solvents, metals, pesticides or other chemical contaminants.
• Physical contamination: This refers to the contamination of drugs with particles (German: Partikel) or objects such as glass, metal, wood or plastic. This can occur as a result of appliances or packaging being destroyed.

Contamination can be extremely dangerous as it can lead to products being released onto the market that can cause adverse drug reactions, allergies, infections or even serious illness. The pharmaceutical industry has strict regulations and standards for contamination control (German: Kontaminationskontrolle), which stipulate sterile and safe conditions for the manufacture, storage and transportation of drugs.

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