VOA标准英语2013--提高人们对铅中毒的意识

 

Raising Awareness¹ of Lead Poisoning 提高人们对铅中毒的意识

The World Health Organization says lead poisoning has devastating² health consequences, especially for children. The WHO is raising awareness about the problem during International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. The theme is Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future.

It’s estimated that 143,000 people die every year from lead poisoning. Lead exposure also contributes to 600,000 new cases annually³ of children with intellectual disabilities. Much of the problem is blamed on lead paint.

Carolyn Vickers is Team Leader for Chemical Safety in the WHO’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

“Lead poisoning is considered by WHO to be one of the top 10 chemical exposures of major public health concern. And it’s particularly worrying because it affects children and a developing fetus⁴. It also affects adults through occupational exposure with the high burden in developing countries.”

But it’s not just in developing countries.

L”ead exposure is a big problem in most if not all countries. In some countries lead paint is still used. That’s obviously adding every year to the number of houses, schools and buildings that are treated with lead paint. But also even in developed countries lead paint has been applied⁵ for many decades and when people undertake activities, such as renovating⁶ their home, it causes the lead to form dust, which children can become exposed to. So it is actually a problem in most countries,” she said.

She said lead dust particles can be so fine that people don’t even know they’re being exposed. In children, lead can damage the developing nervous system, including the brain. IQ can be affected⁷. High lead exposure can cause irreversible damage.

“Here we’re talking about different kinds of lead exposure. Before, I was talking about lead paint. But children can also be exposed to lead through activities, such as hazardous⁸ work. If children are involved in recycling of batteries or are playing with batteries where recycled. Also children can be exposed to lead if they’re engaged in hazardous mining activities in developing countries. And here we see various serious cases of lead poisoning,” said Vickers.

For adults, heavy exposure can come from working in battery recycling, smelting⁹ or painting. It can affect adults’ kidneys and blood pressure.

One of the major ways many countries have reduced lead in the environment is to ban its use in gasoline.  

“As a result of that action there has been a decrease worldwide in exposure to lead. That’s a very encouraging sign and it’s proving that action leads to good outcomes -- and that the next step is to tackle lead paint, which we believe, is very achievable,” she said.

Lead may be found in paint pigment¹⁰.

She said, “There are some global suppliers of pigment. So it’s feasible to tackle a large amount of it by encouraging or requiring manufacturers that ship their pigment products to stop doing that and to only use non-lead versions. Then the next step is to educate paint formulators about the hazards of lead paint -- to encourage them to look for the non-lead alternative. And to encourage governments to pass regulation, legislation or other relevant controls to prohibit lead decorative¹¹ paints.”

Thirty countries have phased out lead paint. The WHO, U.N. Environment Fund and the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint have set a target of 70 countries by 2015.

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

4 fetus   

n.胎，胎儿

参考例句：

• In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。
• No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 renovating   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The increased production was largely attained by renovating old orchards and vineyards. 通过更新老果园和葡萄园，使生产大大增加。
• Renovating that house will cost you a pretty penny. 为了整修那所房子，你得花很多钱。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

9 smelting   

n.熔炼v.熔炼，提炼（矿石）( smelt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• a method of smelting iron 一种炼铁方法
• Fire provided a means of smelting ores. 火提供了熔炼矿石的手段。 来自辞典例句

10 pigment   

n.天然色素，干粉颜料

参考例句：

• The Romans used natural pigments on their fabrics and walls.古罗马人在织物和墙壁上使用天然颜料。
• Who thought he might know what the skin pigment phenomenon meant.他自认为可能知道皮肤色素出现这种现象到底是怎么回事。

11 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。