空气污染成为癌症主要诱因
2013-10-23 11:30:18   来源：37度医学网   作者：  评论：0 点击：

世界卫生组织于十月十四日公布，空气污染成为继石棉，烟草，紫外线外癌症的主要诱因

What many commuters choking on smog have long suspected has finally been scientifically validated: air pollution causes lung cancer.

很多需要奔波上下班路上被烟雾哽得喘不过气来的人的顾虑终于被科学上确认了：空气污染会导致肺癌。

The International Agency for Research on Cancer declared on Thursday that air pollution is a carcinogen, alongside known dangers such as asbestos, tobacco and ultraviolet radiation. The decision came after a consultation by an expert panel organized by IARC, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, which is based in Lyon, France.

国际癌症研究机构（IARC)在星期四公布空气污染为癌症诱因，就如石棉，烟草和紫外线一样危险。该决定来自国际癌症研究机构与世界卫生组织于法国里昂的一个会议。

"We consider this to be the most important environmental carcinogen, more so than passive smoking," said Kurt Straif, head of the IARC department that evaluates cancer-causing substances.

“我们认为这是最严重的一个环境致癌因素，比吸二手烟尤甚”主管IARC癌症诱因部门的Kurt Straif说。

IARC had previously deemed some of the components in air pollution such as diesel fumes to be carcinogens, but this is the first time it has classified air pollution in its entirety as cancer causing.

IARC 曾认为空气污染中的一些物质如柴油废气为致癌物质，但这是他们第一次把空气污染作为一个整体列入致癌因素。

The risk to the individual is low, but Straif said the main sources of pollution are widespread, including transportation, power plants, and industrial and agricultural emissions.

危险因素作为个人来说还是低的， 但Straif 说污染的主要来源分布广泛，包括交通工具，能源工厂，工业与农业排放。

Air pollution is a complex mixture that includes gases and particulate matter, and IARC said one of its primary risks is the fine particles that can be deposited deep in the lungs of people.

受污染的空气是气体与微粒的复杂混合物， IARC说其中一个最大的危险是那些可以被吸入并储存肺中的细小微粒。

These are difficult things for the individual to avoid," he said, observing the worrying dark clouds from nearby factories that he could see from his office window in Lyon.

“平常人很难避免与这些东西接触“ 他说，看着从他里昂办公室窗户可以看到的附近工厂排放出来的乌云而担忧。

"When I walk on a street where there's heavy pollution from diesel exhaust, I try to go a bit further away," he said. "So that's something you can do."

”当我在街上走时我看到有柴油机废气带来的污染，我会尽量远离那个地方“他说”所以也许你也能这样做."

The fact that nearly everyone on the planet is exposed to outdoor pollution could prompt governments and other agencies to adopt stricter controls on spewing fumes. Straif noted that WHO and the European Commission are reviewing their recommended limits on air pollution.

事实是几乎地球上的每个人都暴露在被污染的空气中，也许这能促使政府或有关部门对废气排放采取更严格的严控。Straif 提出世界卫生组织与欧盟正在对他们提议的空气污染标准进行协商。

Previously, pollution had been found to boost the chances of heart and respiratory diseases.

之前，空气污染曾经被发现加剧心脏与呼吸道疾病。

The expert panel's classification was made after scientists analyzed more than 1,000 studies worldwide and concluded there was enough evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer.

专家团对世界范围内的1000个研究进行分析，最后决定有充分的证据证明暴露在受污染空气中会导致肺癌。

In 2010, IARC said there were more than 220,000 lung cancer deaths worldwide connected to air pollution. The agency also noted a link with a slightly higher risk of bladder cancer.

单在2010年，IARC说有超过二十二万个空气污染引发肺癌致死的个案。他们也发现膀胱癌的风险也因为空气污染有轻微上升。

Straif said there were dramatic differences in air quality between cities around the world and that the most polluted metropolises were in China and India, where people frequently don masks on streets to protect themselves.

Straif 说世界各城市的空气状况有很大差别，空气污染最严重的大城市位于中国和印度，那里的人不得不带面罩上街以保护自己。

"This is something governments and environmental agencies need to take care of," Straif said. "People can certainly contribute by doing things like not driving a big diesel car, but this needs much wider policies by national and international authorities."

“政府和环境局需要采取措施了” Straif 说，“人们可以避免驾驶大柴油车以减少排放，但如果想真正控制需要国内国外覆盖面更广的政策。”

Other experts emphasized the cancer risk from pollution for the average person was very low - but virtually unavoidable.

其他专家强调对普通人来说空气污染致癌的风险非常低，但几乎不能避免。

"You can choose not to drink or not to smoke, but you can't control whether or not you're exposed to air pollution," said Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatics at Harvard University's School of Public Health. "You can't just decide not to breathe," she said. Dominici was not connected to the IARC expert panel.

“你能选择不喝被污染的水或不吸烟， 但你不能选择是否暴露在空气中”，哈佛大学公共卫生学院生物静力学教授Francesca Dominici说，“你不能选择不呼吸。” Dominici跟IARC专家团并没有关系。

A person's risk for cancer depends on numerous variables, including genetics, exposure to dangerous substances and lifestyle choices regarding issues such as drinking alcohol, smoking and exercising.

一个人的患癌风险由几个因素决定，包括基因，接触危险物质， 坏的生活习惯比如喝酒，抽烟以及不做运动。

Dominici said scientists are still trying to figure out which bits of pollution are the most lethal and called for a more targeted approach.

Dominici 说科学家仍然尝试断定空气中哪一种物质是最为致命的，然后再作专门研究。

"The level of ambient pollution in the U.S. is much, much lower than it used to be, but we still find evidence of cancer and birth defects," she said. "The question is: How are we going to clean the air even further?"

”在美国的环境污染比以前小了很多， 但我们仍然可以找到污染致癌还有先天畸形的例子。“她说，“问题是，我们如何进一步净化空气？”