钟理环境工程专业英语unit8.docVIP

Unit 8 Type and Sources of Air Pollutants [I] What is Air Pollution? Air pollution is normally defined as air that contains one or more chemicals in high enough concentrations to harm humans, other animals, vegetation or materials. There are two major types of air pollutants. 什么是空气污染? 空气污染通常可以定义为: 空气中含有一种或更多的化学品, 其浓度高到对人/动物/植物或其他物体造成危害. 有2种主要类型的空气污染物. A primary air pollutant is a chemical added directly to the air that occurs in a harmful concentration. 一次空气污染物:被直接加入到空气中的达到有害浓度的化学物质. It can be a natural air component, such as carbon dioxide, that rises above its normal concentration, or something not usually found in the air, such as a lead compound emitted by cars burning leaded gasoline. 这样的化学品可以是一种天然的空气组分,如CO2, 浓度高出其正常浓度, 或者一些通常在空气中不常发现的物质, 如从燃烧含铅汽油汽车中排放的含铅组分. A secondary air pollutant is a harmful chemical formed in the atmosphere through a chemical reaction among air components. 二次空气污染物:是在大气中通过与空气中的各组分发生化学反应而生成的有害化学品. Serious air pollution usually results over a city or other area that is emitting high levels of pollutants during a period of air stagnation(停滞). 在一个城市或地区, 在空气停滞时期排放高浓度的污染物会导致严重的空气污染. The geographic location of some heavily populated cities, such as Los Angeles and Mexico City, makes them particularly susceptible(易受影响) to frequent air stagnation and pollution build up. 在一些人口高度密集的城市, 例如洛杉矶和墨西哥城, 其地理位置使得它们特别容易受到经常的空气流动停滞和污染累积的影响. We must be careful about depending solely(单独) on concentration values in determining the severity(严重) air pollutants. 对于单独以浓度值来确定空气污染物的严重性, 我们必须特别小心. By themselves, measured concentrations tell us nothing about the danger caused by pollutants, because threshold levels, synergy(协同增强作用), and biological magnification(放大) are also determining factors . 靠所测浓度自身无法告诉我们污染物导致的任何危险信息, 因为阙值, 协同作用和生物放大效应等也是确定因素. In addition, we run into(遇到, 陷入) the issue of conflicting views of what constitutes harm. 另外, 对于构成危害的因素有哪些, 我们存在着不一致的意见. Major air pollutants following are the 11 major types of air pollutants: 下面是11种主要的空气污染物: