空氣污染竟是心臟病元兇 白領難逃脫

The main trigger for a heart attack is not vigorous exercise or stress — it’s air pollution, according to a study published in The Lancet this month. Researchers found spending time in traffic, whether as a driver or pedestrian, tops the list of ‘last straw’ risk factors that bring on a heart attack.
　　最新研究顯示，引起心臟病的促因並非過度鍛鍊以及精神壓力過大，專家指出：空氣污染纔是引起心臟病的“罪魁禍首”，而關於空氣污染誘發心臟病的數據都發表在英國著名醫學《柳葉刀》上，並在上個月與讀者見面了。研究人員發現在路面工作的人羣，比如司機或者行人等，是心臟病的高發羣體。

Jon Ayres, professor of environmental and respiratory medicine at the University of Birmingham, says: Air pollution is not only linked to strokes, heart attacks and cancer — it has a profound effect on those with existing respiratory conditions. Asthmatics are more likely to have an asthma attack on days when pollution is high. So how can you minimise the damage? We asked the experts for their tips on breathing easy.

來自伯明翰大學的教授Jon Ayres說：“大氣污染不僅對中風、心臟病以及癌症有着直接的影響，而且環境污染對人體的呼吸系統有着巨大的負面作用。此外，在大氣污染情況嚴重的時候，哮喘病的發作頻率是相當高的。”怎樣才能降低空氣污染對我們身體造成的傷害呢？在辦公室內的污濁空氣也會對我們身體造成巨大傷害，我們該怎樣保護自己呢？

TAKE TO THE SIDE STREETS

走路靠邊 別靠路邊

A study found that someone walking down Marylebone Road in London would breathe in the equivalent pollution of one cigarette in just 48 minutes. To reduce your exposure, avoid main roads. These have the highest number of vehicles and also more traffic jams — idle vehicles emit denser fumes — and more buses, which tend to run on diesel. Diesel engines emit ultra-fine particles that reach the lungs most easily. Choose side streets, pedestrianised roads, parks and routes lined with trees. Fan Chung, professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London, says: ‘I would also avoid tunnels and “street canyons”, where tall buildings line the street and create valleys where particles build up.’

有一則研究報告顯示，如果在倫敦Marylebone 路上行走，民衆呼吸的污染物的量大約等於吸菸48分鐘造成的效果。爲了減輕道路污染對我們身體造成的損害，專家建議，我們避免在主路上行走，這樣避免與主路上車輛釋放出的尾氣直接接觸。此外，專家還警告，柴油發動機釋放的超細粒子污染物相對別的污染物而言更能接觸我們的肺。走路儘量別靠車輛行駛的位置，離得越遠越好。

BUY SOME HOUSEPLANTS

種植家用植物

We spend 90 per cent of our time inside, but studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have found that pollution levels can be two to five times higher indoors than outside. Don't jog in traffic: Jogging while inhaling polluted hair increases the stress on runners' heart Cleaning products, air fresheners and objects such as synthetic carpets, TV screens and MDF can emit chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been linked to diseases such as cancer. Researchers at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, found an increase in asthma risk among children under three who had high VOC levels in their homes.

來自美國環境保護署（略作EPA）的專家經過分析警告稱，我們有90%的時間在室內生活，在所居住的屋內保持乾淨和衛生、在所待的辦公室儘量做到整潔對我們的心肺也很重要。因爲，室內污染相對室外污染而言，對我們造成的傷害要達到2到5倍，十分嚇人。空氣清新機、以及室內植物的使用可以保持屋內的氣流循環。而且專家還警告，合成地毯、電視屏幕以及中密度纖維板等裝修器材對身體的傷害巨大，它們釋放出的揮發性有機化合物（Volatile Organic Compounds）-----環境監測中以氫焰離子檢測器測出的非甲烷烴類物質的總稱，其中包括含氧烴類、含滷烴類，廣義場合包括甲烷、丙烷、氯烴、氟.