VOA标准英语2011-Pollution Might Cloud Minds of Older Men

New research finds a link between vehicle emissions² and cognitive³ function in older people.

 

People who live in polluted cities can see the grit⁴ and dirt produced from vehicle engines but some of the most damaging emissions are only now starting to be understood. They're ultrafine particles that are way too small to be seen. Hundreds of these particles, placed side by side, match the width of a human hair and are primarily produced by combustion⁵ in diesel⁶ engines.

Harvard doctoral researcher Melinda Power says we now understand that ultrafines are a more significant problem than emission¹ gasses or those large particles that make your skin dirty.

"They can actually get absorbed in through the surface of the lung, into your body, or they can travel straight up the olfactory⁷ nerves into your brain," says Power. "And so these particulates⁸ because they are so small have the potential to not only enter the body but then interact with the cellular⁹ machinery¹⁰ of the body as well."

To study the effects of this pollution on seniors and their cognition, Power took data from a study of older men who live in and around the Boston area. In addition to collecting health information, researchers gave the men tests that measured their thinking.

Then Power matched the data about the men to their addresses.

"People who live next to major roads are going to have much higher exposure to traffic related particulates than people who live further away," says Power. "The largest determinant of indoor air quality is outdoor air quality. So all of our houses have some exchange of air with the outside and what's outside will end up inside."

Power found that a doubling of traffic pollution was associated with having a lower scores on cognition tests, even lower than what would be expected with normal aging.

She says there are only one or two other studies that look at the association between cognition and pollution. But she says she feels confident she's identified an important phenomenon that needs to be examined more thoroughly¹¹. She plans several more studies to do that.

Power's paper is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives

1 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

2 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。

3 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

4 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。

5 combustion   

n.燃烧；氧化；骚动

参考例句：

• We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
• The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。

6 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

7 olfactory   

adj.嗅觉的

参考例句：

• He is to develop a sensor to substitute for the olfactory abilities of dogs.克罗克将研制一种传感器用以代替狗的嗅觉功能。
• Based on these findings, Keller suspects that each person has an olfactory blind spot.根据这些发现，凯勒推断，每个人都有一个嗅觉盲区。

8 particulates   

n.微粒，粒子( particulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Techniques for controlling particulates include filtering, washing, centrifugal separation, and electrostatic precipitation. 控制颗粒污染物的技术包括过滤、洗涤、离心分离、静电沉降。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Only micronic particulates penetrate to the depth of the lung. 只有微细粒子穿透到肺深部。 来自辞典例句

9 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

10 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

11 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。