ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Air Pollution/Lung Cancer

By Cynthia Kirk
ENVIRONMENT REPORT -March 22, 2002: Air Pollution/Lung Cancer

This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

Researchers have completed a major study on the health effects of air pollution common in many large American
cities. The study shows that air pollution increases the risk of death from lung cancer and other diseases. They
say people living in heavily polluted areas have a sixteen percent higher risk of dying of lung cancer than people
in less polluted areas. They say the risk is similar to that of someone living with a person who smokes cigarettes.

The latest study involved five-hundred-thousand people in more than one-hundred
American cities. The researchers examined their health records from Nineteen-
Eighty-Two through Nineteen-Ninety-Eight. They also gathered information about
air pollution in the cities where the people lived.

Researchers say the higher lung cancer risk is linked to pollution caused by small
particles of soot¹ from coal-burning power centers, factories and motor vehicles.

Power centers built before Nineteen-Eighty produce about half the nation’s electricity. However, they also
produce most of the power industry’s dangerous pollutants². These include sulfur³ dioxide, nitrogen oxide⁴ and
soot.Air pollution levels have decreased during the past twenty years because of better enforcement of clean air

laws. Yet levels of small particle pollution in major cities are at or above pollution limits set by the
Environmental Protection Agency.

The E-P-A set new pollution limits in Nineteen-Ninety-Seven after studies showed a link between small particle
pollution and lung cancer. However, power companies have taken legal action against the agency to delay the
restrictions⁵.Environmental groups have long suggested that pollution from power centers has led to a sharp
increase in deaths from lung diseases. They have urged action to either close the factories or force them to put in
anti-pollution equipment. The American Lung Association says the latest findings show the urgent need to clean
up aging power factories.

Experts who have spent years examining the links between pollution and sicknesses generally support the latest
study. The Environmental Protection Agency says it will consider the research as part of its continuing study of
air quality rules on small particle pollution.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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1 soot   

n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟

参考例句：

• Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。
• The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。

2 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

4 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制