Chemical/biological __________ is a decontamination method that changes the composition of a material.

• A. Preservation
• B. Decontamination
• C. Inactivation
• D. Degradation

Answer: (D)

The main idea is a method that actually alters the chemical makeup of a contaminant. Degradation describes breaking a substance down into smaller or different chemical species, so the original material’s composition is changed. In chemical or biological decontamination, this often involves reactions like hydrolysis or oxidation that transform the contaminant into new, typically less hazardous compounds.

Preservation keeps the material as-is, so no chemical change occurs. Inactivation makes a biological agent nonviable but doesn’t necessarily change its chemical composition. Decontamination is a broad goal of removing or neutralizing hazards, which may not involve changing the contaminant’s composition either. Since degradation explicitly changes composition, it’s the best fit.