Which pair are chemical decontamination methods?

• A. Neutralization and solidification
• B. Absorption and adsorption
• C. Disinfection and sterilization
• D. Heating and evaporation

Answer: (C)

Chemical decontamination methods rely on agents that chemically interact with contaminants to inactivate or destroy them. Disinfection and sterilization fit this idea because they are about using chemical agents to reduce or eliminate microbial contaminants on surfaces or equipment. Disinfection lowers the number of viable pathogens, while sterilization aims to eliminate all microorganisms, often through chemical sterilants or other chemical processes.

The other options mix physical processes with chemical ones or are purely physical. Absorption and adsorption are mainly physical methods of removing contaminants through sorption. Neutralization paired with solidification blends a chemical step with a physical stabilization of waste, not two chemical decontamination steps. Heating and evaporation are thermal, not chemical, decontamination methods.