世卫:低收入国家空气质量低

 UNITED NATIONS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 80 percent of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO), a UN spokesman said here Thursday.

While all regions of the world are affected¹, populations in low-income cities are the most impacted: 98 percent of cities in low- and middle-income countries with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines, Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

In high-income countries, that percentage drops to 56 percent, showed the latest global urban ambient air pollution database presented Thursday by the UN agency.

WHO says tens of thousands of urban dwellers² in lower income countries exposed to low air quality

In the past two years, the database, which now covers 3,000 cities in 103 countries, has nearly doubled, with more cities measuring air pollution levels and recognizing the associated health impacts.

Ambient air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to health, causing more than three million premature³ deaths worldwide every year, the spokesman said.

"Air pollution is a major cause of disease and death. It is good news that more cities are stepping up to monitor air quality, so when they take actions to improve it they have a benchmark," said Flavia Bustreo, WHO assistant director general for family, women's and children's health.

"When dirty air blankets our cities the most vulnerable urban populations -- the youngest, oldest and poorest -- are the most impacted."

As urban air quality declines, the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic⁴ and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma⁵, increases for the people who live in them, WHO said.

During the five-year period from 2008 to 2013, WHO compared 795 cities in 67 countries for levels of small and fine particulate⁶ matter PM10 and PM2.5 -- particles smaller than 10 or 2.5 microns.

This included pollutants⁷ such as sulfates, nitrates and black carbon, which penetrate⁸ deep into the lungs and into the cardiovascular system, posing the greatest risks to human health. Data were then analyzed⁹ to develop regional trends.

Among the key trends from the period include that global urban air pollution levels increased by 8 percent, despite improvements in some regions, according to the agency.

In general, urban air pollution levels were lowest in high-income countries, with lower levels most prevalent in Europe, the Americas and the Western Pacific region.

The highest urban air pollution levels were experienced in low- and middle-income countries in WHO's Eastern Mediterranean¹⁰ and South-East Asia regions, with annual mean levels often exceeding five to 10 times the limits set by the agency, followed by low-income cities in the Western Pacific region.

In the Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asia regions and in low-income countries in the Western Pacific region, levels of urban air pollution increased by more than 5 percent in more than two thirds of the cities.

The WHO noted¹¹ that urban air pollution data remain sparse¹² in the African region, although the available data revealed particulate matter levels above the median. The database now contains particulate matter measurements for more than twice as many cities than previous versions.

Ambient air pollution, made of high concentrations of small and fine particulate matter, is the greatest environmental risk to health -- causing more than three million premature deaths worldwide every year, the WHO said.

"Urban air pollution continues to rise at an alarming rate, wreaking¹³ havoc¹⁴ on human health," said Maria Neira, director of the WHO's Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.

"At the same time, awareness¹⁵ is rising and more cities are monitoring their air quality. When air quality improves, global respiratory and cardiovascular-related illnesses decrease."

Most sources of urban outdoor air pollution are well beyond the control of individuals and demand action by cities, as well as national and international policymakers to promote cleaner transport, more efficient energy production and waste management, the WHO said.

More than half of the monitored cities in high-income countries and more than one third in low- and middle-income countries reduced their air pollution levels by more than 5 per cent in five years.

Reducing industrial smokestack emissions¹⁶, increasing use of renewable power sources such as solar and wind, and prioritizing rapid transit¹⁷, walking and cycling networks in cities are among the available and affordable¹⁸ strategies, the agency noted.

"It is crucial for city and national governments to make urban air quality a health and development priority," said WHO official Carlos Dora.

"When air quality improves, health costs from air pollution-related diseases shrink, worker productivity expands and life expectancy¹⁹ grows. Reducing air pollution also brings an added climate bonus, which can become a part of countries' commitments to the climate treaty," he added, referring to the Paris Agreement on climate change, which was reached in December 2015.

WHO's air quality guidelines provide global guidance on thresholds and limits for key air pollutants that pose health risks.

The guidelines indicate that by reducing particulate matter pollution from 70 to 20 micrograms per cubic metre, air pollution-related deaths could be reduced by about 15 percent.

1 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。

2 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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

8 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

9 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 sparse   

adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的

参考例句：

• The teacher's house is in the suburb where the houses are sparse.老师的家在郊区，那里稀稀拉拉有几处房子。
• The sparse vegetation will only feed a small population of animals.稀疏的植物只够喂养少量的动物。

13 wreaking   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Coal mining is a messy business, often wreaking terrible environmental damage nearby. 采矿是肮脏的行业，往往会严重破坏周边环境。
• The floods are wreaking havoc in low-lying areas. 洪水正在地势低洼地区肆虐。

14 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

15 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。

16 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

17 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

18 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

19 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。