美国国家公共电台 NPR--Staying safe in smoky air is particularly important for some people. Here's how

Staying safe in smoky air is particularly important for some people. Here's how

Transcript¹

Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to spread from the Eastern U.S., to the Midwest. Cleveland and Detroit are now experiencing unhealthy air pollution. But some of the poorest air quality in the world this week has been in New York City. Pulmonologist Dr. Ravi Kalhan of Northwestern Medicine likened it to New Yorkers smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

The health hazards of long-term smoking are well understood, but what are the dangers of short-term exposure to wildfire smoke?

"I think that everyone has some degree of risk when air pollution levels are to this extent," says Dr. Keith Brenner, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at Hackensack University Medical Center.

But it's people with preexisting lung conditions like asthma² or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) who are most at risk.

Smoky skies can cause itchy eyes, sore throats, headaches and even a little nausea³. But it's the fine particles — particulate⁴ matter that's 2.5 microns or less in diameter — that are the biggest health hazard. These particles can get into your lungs, and for people with lung conditions they can trigger a flare-up. "Worst case scenario⁵ you might even have to be admitted to the hospital," Brenner says.

Poor air quality can also be a problem for people with cardiovascular disease.

Research by the Environmental Protection Agency and others has found exposure to particle pollution increases hospitalizations for serious cardiovascular events like heart failure, strokes, heart attacks and death.

Pregnant people and children — especially children with asthma — are also at increased risk of harm from exposure to wildfire smoke. Kids breathe faster and take in more polluted air, says Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician at Stanford Medicine Children's Health. "Kids are more susceptible⁶ to begin with because their airways⁷ are even smaller. So even a smaller amount of inflammation can hit a kid harder as well," Patel says. This is especially true for children under age 5.

Inhaling⁸ polluted air can also impact the development of the fetus⁹. "So I think that pregnant women should do all they can to avoid exposure on days when the levels are so high," Brenner says. And he points to several studies that show hospitalization rates for children with asthma flare-ups increase when air pollution levels are high.

So what's the best way to minimize exposure to dangerous air pollution?

First, check the air quality where you live by going to the EPA website airnow.gov, which has a color coded meter showing the air quality in your area. If the air is rated unhealthy, the best advice is to stay inside as much as possible and keep the doors and windows closed.

If you have cracks under the doors where the air is coming in, Linsey Marr, an aerosols¹⁰ expert at Virginia Tech, suggests rolling up a towel to block it. If you have an air purifier, "run it on high so that you are filtering your indoor air as much as possible," Marr says.

Air purifiers can be expensive, so if you don't have one, Patel suggests, making one yourself. Get a HEPA filter "and attach it to a box fan and get about a 50% reduction in the air pollution indoors," she says. And try to avoid anything that makes the indoor air quality worse. "If you have a gas stove, try to avoid using it," Patel says. Don't vacuum or burn candles because that will just add more particles to your indoor air.

And drink lots of water. The fluid keeps your eyes, nose and throat moist which helps alleviate¹¹ irritation¹². Also, avoid outdoor exercise when the air is bad. Exercise makes you breathe more deeply, bringing any particles in the air deeper into your airways.

And finally, if you do go outside — mask up! "Just like with COVID, the best mask is going to be a high quality, well-fitting, what we call a respirator mask, an N95 or KN95," Marr says. Surgical¹³ masks or cloth masks are better than nothing, but they don't offer great protection. N95 masks can filter out 95% of smoke particles, if fitted properly and dirty air doesn't leak around the sides.

And you know the drill: Cover your nose and your mouth.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

3 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

4 particulate   

adj.微小的；n.微粒，粒子

参考例句：

• A special group was organized to dig up the particulate of the case.成立了一个专门小组来查明该案件的各个细节。
• Lungs retain relatively insoluble particulate material.肺脏内留有不溶解的颗粒物质。

5 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

6 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

7 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

8 inhaling   

v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was treated for the effects of inhaling smoke. 他因吸入烟尘而接受治疗。 来自辞典例句
• The long-term effects of inhaling contaminated air is unknown. 长期吸入被污染空气的影响还无从知晓。 来自互联网

9 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。

10 aerosols   

n.气溶胶( aerosol的名词复数 )；喷雾剂；（气体中的）浮粒；喷雾器

参考例句：

• Aerosols are present throughout the atmosphere. 气溶胶存在于整个大气层。 来自辞典例句
• Deodorants are available as aerosols or roll-ons. 除臭剂有喷雾装或滚抹装。 来自辞典例句

11 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

12 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

13 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。