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  • 空气污染对环境的影响

    Lesson
    ::经验教训

     

    A person wearing a gas mask amid smoggy air illustrating the effects of air pollution.
     

    Why do we treat the atmosphere like a dump?
    ::为什么我们把大气层当成垃圾一样对待?

    On a smoggy  day , you're breathing garbage. Many human activities dump trash into the air. The trash is gases and particles, but it's still trash. Would we tolerate all this trash if it were in our houses?
    ::在烟雾的一天,你正在呼吸垃圾。许多人类活动将垃圾倒入空气中。垃圾是气体和粒子,但它仍然是垃圾。如果这些垃圾在我们家里,我们会容忍这些垃圾吗?

    Effects of Pollutants
    ::持久性有机污染物的影响》缔约方大会

    Air pollution is harmful to human beings and other living things. About 22 million people die from air pollution each  year . Breathing polluted air increases the risk of developing lung diseases such as asthma and lung cancer. Breathing bad air also increases the chances of dying from other diseases. Children are most likely to be affected by air pollution. That’s because their lungs are still developing and growing. Children also take in more air for their size than adults do. Some air pollutants damage the environment as well as the health of living things. The type of damage depends on the pollutant. Air pollution can also harm the environment.
    ::空气污染对人类和其他生物有害。每年约有2,200万人死于空气污染。呼吸受污染的空气增加了患肺病的风险,如哮喘和肺癌。呼吸坏空气也增加了死于其他疾病的可能性。儿童最有可能受到空气污染的影响。这是因为他们的肺部仍在发育和成长。儿童在空气中吸收的空气也比成年人多。一些空气污染物破坏了环境和生命健康。损害的类型取决于污染物。空气污染也可能危害环境。

    Types of Pollutants
    ::各类持久性有机污染物的

    This concept explores the effects of different pollutants on the environment and human health. The pollutants include  particulates ,  ozone , nitrogen  oxides , sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and VOCs.
    ::这一概念探讨不同污染物对环境和人类健康的影响,包括微粒、臭氧、氧化氮、氧化硫、一氧化碳、重金属和挥发性有机物。

    Particulates
    ::分隔区

    Particulates cause lung diseases. They can also increase the risk of heart disease and the number of asthma attacks. Particulates block sunlight from reaching Earth’s surface. This means there is less  energy  for  photosynthesis . Less photosynthesis means that plants and  phytoplankton  produce less food. This affects whole  ecosystems .
    ::片段导致肺病。 它们也可以增加心脏病的风险和哮喘发作的次数。 片段阻止阳光到达地球表面。 这意味着光合作用能量较少。 较少光合作用意味着植物和浮游植物生产较少食物。 这影响到整个生态系统。

    Ozone
    ::臭氧臭氧臭氧臭氧臭氧臭氧

    The ozone in smog may damage plants. The effects of ozone add up over time. Plants such as trees, which normally live a long time, are most affected. Entire forests may die out if ozone levels are very high. Other plants, including crop plants, may also be damaged by ozone. Below, you can see evidence of ozone damage ( Figure ).
    ::烟雾中的臭氧可能会破坏植物,臭氧的影响会随着时间推移而增加,树木等通常活得很长的植物受到的影响最大,如果臭氧水平很高,整个森林可能会死亡,其他植物,包括作物作物也可能受到臭氧的损害。下面,您可以看到臭氧损害的证据(图)。

    Comparison of ozone-damaged snap bean plants on the left and healthy plants on the right.
     
    Ozone damaged snap bean plants are shown on the left. Healthy snap bean plants are shown on the right.

    The ozone in smog is also harmful to human health. The image below shows the levels of ozone to watch out for ( Figure ). Some people are especially sensitive to ozone. They can be harmed by levels of ozone that would not affect most other people. These people include those with lung or heart problems.
    ::烟雾中的臭氧也有害人类健康。下图显示需要注意的臭氧水平(图)。有些人对臭氧特别敏感,他们可能受到臭氧水平的伤害,而臭氧水平不会影响大多数其他人。这些人包括肺部或心脏有问题的人。

    Ozone air quality index showing levels from good to unhealthy, measured in parts per million.
     
    The ozone air quality index gives the parts of ozone per million parts of air. How many parts of ozone are unhealthy for everyone?

    Nitrogen and Sulfur Oxides
    ::氮和硫氧化物

    Both nitrogen and sulfur oxides are toxic to humans. These compounds can cause lung diseases or make them worse. Nitrogen and sulfur oxides form  , which is described in the next concept.
    ::氮和氧化硫对人类都有毒性,这些化合物可引起肺病或使肺病恶化。

    Carbon Monoxide
    ::二氧化碳

    Carbon monoxide (CO) is toxic to both plants and animals. CO is deadly to people in a confined space, such as a closed home. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, so people can’t tell when they are breathing it. That’s why homes should have carbon monoxide detectors.
    ::一氧化碳(CO)对动植物都是有毒的。 二氧化碳对封闭的住宅等封闭空间中的人来说是致命的。 一氧化碳无味无色,因此人们无法辨别呼吸时间。 这就是为什么家庭应该使用一氧化碳探测器。

    Heavy Metals
    ::重金属

    Heavy metals, such as mercury and lead, are toxic to living things. They can enter  food chains  from the  atmosphere . The metals build up in the tissues of organisms by  bioaccumulation  ( Figure ). Heavy metals accumulate as they are passed up a food chain. Imagine a low-level consumer eating a  producer . That consumer takes in all of the heavy metals from all of the producers that it eats. Then a higher-level consumer eats the low-level consumer. The higher-level consumer accumulates all of the heavy metals from all of the lower-level consumers that it eats. In this way, an organism accumulates a lot of heavy metals. At high levels in the food chain, the heavy metals may become quite concentrated.
    ::重金属,如汞和铅,对生物有毒,从大气中进入食物链。金属通过生物累积在生物组织中(Figure)。重金属通过生物累积在生物组织中(Figure)。重金属随着食物链的传递而积累。想象一个低层次的消费者吃生产者。消费者从所有生产者中吸收所有重金属。然后,高层次的消费者吃低层次的消费者。高层次的消费者从所有低层次消费者中积累所有重金属。这样,生物体就积累了大量重金属。在食物链的高层次上,重金属可能会变得相当集中。

    Bioaccumulation of mercury in food chain, showing levels in various organisms.
     
    This diagram shows how mercury bioaccumulates. Compare the parts per million (ppm) of mercury in phytoplankton and gull eggs. Can you explain the difference?

    The higher up a food chain that humans eat, the greater the levels of toxic metals they take in. That’s why people should avoid eating too much large fish, such as tuna. Tuna are  predators  near the top of their food chains. They have been shown to contain high levels of mercury. In people, heavy metals can damage the brain and other organs. Unborn babies and young children are most affected. That’s because their organs are still developing.
    ::人类食用的食物链越高,有毒金属的含量就越高。 这就是为什么人们应该避免吃太多大鱼,比如金枪鱼。 金枪鱼是食物链顶端的食肉动物。 事实证明,金枪鱼含有高汞含量。 在人类中,重金属会损害大脑和其他器官。 未出生的婴儿和幼儿受到的影响最大。 这是因为他们的器官仍在发育之中。

    VOCs
    ::VOCs 挥管

    VOCs are toxic to humans and other living things. In people, they can cause a wide range of problems. These can range from eye and nose irritation to brain damage and cancer. Levels of VOCs are often higher indoors than out. That’s because they are released by products such as paints, cleaning solutions, and building materials. How might you reduce your exposure to VOCs?
    ::VOC是对人类和其他生物有毒的。在人类中,它们可能造成各种各样的问题。从眼睛和鼻子刺激到脑损伤和癌症,这些都可能包括眼和鼻子刺激。 VOC通常在室内比室外高。这是因为它们通过油漆、清洁溶液和建筑材料等产品释放出来。你如何减少对VOC的接触?

     

    Summary
    ::摘要

    • An increase in particulates may have these effects. It may reduce photosynthesis, increase precipitation, and reduce temperatures.
      ::粒子的增加可能具有这些效应,它可以减少光合作用,增加降水量,降低温度。
    • Ozone may damage native plants and some crop plants. Ozone may slow plant growth or damage leaves.
      ::臭氧可能会损害本地植物和一些作物植物,臭氧可能会减缓植物生长或损害叶叶。
    • Pollutants emitted into the air cause lung and other diseases in humans.
      ::排放到空气中的污染物造成人类肺部疾病和其他疾病。

    Review
    ::回顾

    1. Make a chart of each of the pollutants discussed in this concept. Add in the environmental effects of these pollutants. Then include the human health effects of these pollutants.
      ::绘制本概念中讨论的每一种污染物的图表,加上这些污染物的环境影响,然后包括这些污染物对人类健康的影响。
    1. What time of day is the worst for ozone pollution? Can you think of why this is?
      ::臭氧污染最严重的是什么时候?你能想到这是为什么吗?
    1. Describe bioaccumulation. What substances bioaccumulate?
      ::生物蓄积性说明:哪些物质具有生物累积性?