欧洲空气污染每年导致至少1200名儿童早夭

欧洲环境署新发布的《2023年度欧洲空气质量状况》指出，呼吸污染空气每年导致欧洲至少1200名儿童早夭。报告指出，意大利和东欧国家的空气污染最严重。

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Breathing dirty air causes the premature death of at least 1,200 children across Europe each year, and many thousands more are afflicted with physical and mental health problems that could have lifelong impacts, according to the latest assessment of air pollution by the European Environment Agency.

欧洲环境署的最新评估显示，呼吸污染空气每年导致欧洲至少1200名儿童早夭，并使得数以万计的儿童患上影响一生的身体和心理疾病。

Gerardo Sanchez Martinez, an expert in environment and health at the EEA, said: “You can’t think about children as little adults, when it comes to air pollution. They receive more pollution, and it starts in the womb and continues in kindergarten and onwards. ”

欧洲环境署的环境和健康专家杰拉尔多·桑切斯·马丁内斯表示：“在空气污染这件事上，儿童和大人不能等同视之。儿童吸入的污染物更多，而且从子宫内就开始受到脏空气毒害，这种毒害会一直伴随着他们到幼儿园时期甚至更久。”

Children are particularly susceptible to dirty air, as pollutants can have an impact on their development that is permanent. The impacts begin before birth, with studies linking pollution to low birth weight and premature birth.

儿童对脏空气特别敏感，污染物会对他们的成长产生持久影响。这些影响在孩子出生前就开始了，研究显示，空气污染会导致新生儿体重过轻和早产。

Exposure to high levels of pollutants in childhood have been shown to inhibit lung capacity, cause asthma, lead to higher levels of respiratory disease and ear infections, and increase the risk of allergies – and they may also affect brain development.

研究发现，童年时期暴露在高水平污染空气中会抑制肺活量，导致哮喘，提高呼吸系统疾病和耳部感染发病率，增加过敏风险，并可能影响大脑发育。

Children are more exposed to filthy air than adults because they have a faster breathing rate, are closer to the ground and are outdoors more.

儿童吸入的脏空气比成人更多，因为他们呼吸频率更快，离地面更近，而且在户外时间更长。

Reducing the sources of air pollution – including road traffic, coal and solid fuel burning, and industrial emissions, is key – but action should also be taken to reduce the specific risks to children, according to the EEA. These could include putting clean air zones around schools, where traffic would be restrained and idling engines prohibited. Local authorities and schools should also look at planting trees, ivy screens and hedge fences around playgrounds.

欧洲环境署指出，减少道路交通、煤炭和固体燃料燃烧和工业排放等空气污染源是关键，但是还应该采取措施来降低儿童面临的空气污染风险。这些措施包括在学校周围划定清洁空气区，在这一区域内限制交通、禁止发动机空转。各地部门和学校也应该在操场周围植树、培植常春藤屏障和树篱。

The EEA’s publication, entitled Europe’s Air Quality Status 2023, published on Monday, covers 37 countries, including all EU member states and countries such as Turkey, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro, and examines air pollutants including particulates, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and sulphur dioxide.

欧洲环境署4月24日发表的这份名为《2023年度欧洲空气质量状况》的报告涵盖了37个国家，包括全部欧盟成员国以及土耳其、塞尔维亚等国，检测了大气微粒、二氧化氮、臭氧和二氧化硫等空气污染物。

Eastern European states came out worst, largely owing to the burning of coal for domestic heating, along with Italy, where industrial pollution in the Po Valley was identified as a key problem.

东欧国家的空气污染最严重，主要是因为这些国家燃烧煤炭以供家庭取暖，意大利的空气也很糟，波河峡谷的工业污染是罪魁祸首。

Across Europe, 97% of the population, of all ages, were exposed to levels of air pollution higher than those deemed safe by the World Health Organization, according to the EEA.

欧洲环境署指出，全欧洲各年龄段人口有97%暴露在超过世界卫生组织安全标准的空气污染之中。

英文来源：卫报

翻译&编辑：丹妮

来源：中国日报网

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