全球逾90%人住在空氣質量不達標地區
More than 90 per cent of the global population lives in a place where the air does not meet World Health Organisation safety guidelines, according to a study from the UN agency that warns of a public health emergency created by rising pollution levels.
世界衛生組織(WHO)的一份報告顯示，全球逾90%的人口居住在空氣質量不符合其安全標準的地區。它警告稱，污染日益加劇導致一個公共衛生緊急狀態。
The most detailed research on outdoor pollution in individual countries undertaken by the organisation shows an estimated 3m deaths a year can be linked to dirty air from coal-fired power plants, old cars, factories and other sources.
WHO開展的這項關於各國室外污染最爲詳盡的研究表明，據估計每年300萬例死亡與燃煤電廠、老式汽車、工廠以及其他來源排放的污染空氣有關。
Millions more are affected by smoke inside homes from stoves or fires fuelled with wood or dung, meaning a total of 6.5m deaths were associated with air pollution in 2012, the agency said.
該組織表示，還有數百萬人受到室內爐火或者燃燒木柴或糞便產生的煙霧的影響，這意味着2012年總計650萬例死亡與空氣污染有關。
Air pollution continues to rise at an alarming rate, and affects economies and people’s quality of life.
報告稱：空氣污染繼續以驚人的速度上升，影響到經濟和人們的生活質量。
It is a public health emergency, the study says.
這是一個公共衛生緊急狀態。
An interactive map made by the agency reveals stark disparities among countries’ levels of particulate matter, one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution.
世衛組織製作的一幅互動地圖顯示，各國顆粒物濃度差異明顯，顆粒物是空氣污染的最危險形式之一。
Tiny particles, no bigger than 2.5 micrometres, can penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system.
直徑小於或等於2.5微米的微小顆粒可以深入人體的肺和心血管系統。
WHO guidelines say annual average concentrations should not exceed 10 micrograms per cubic metre.
世衛組織的標準是，年度平均濃度不應超過每立方米10微克。
The limit is met in much of the US, Canada and countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
美國、加拿大很多地區以及澳大利亞和新西蘭等國家的微小顆粒濃度符合這個標準。
But many places in Europe, including parts of the UK, France and Germany, exceed it.
但歐洲很多地區超過了這一標準，包括英國、法國和德國的部分地區。
More than 90 per cent of the UK population lives in areas that break WHO limits, according to the study’s model, developed with an international team led by the University of Bath.
根據這項研究的模型，超過90%的英國人口生活在超過世衛組織標準的地區，該模型由巴斯大學(University of Bath)牽頭的一個國際團隊製作。
The higher levels of pollution in Europe could be down to the number of EU countries that encouraged the use of diesel cars compared with North America, said Annette Pruss-Ustun, a co-author of the study.
報告作者之一安妮特•普魯斯-於斯頓(Annette Pruss-Ustun)表示，與北美相比，歐洲空氣污染水平較高可能源於很多歐盟國家鼓勵使用柴油汽車。
