VOA常速英语2007年-UN Study Finds Nairobi Dumpsite Endangers Child

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi, Kenya
06 December 2007
 

Kenya's capital, Nairobi, is home to one of Africa's largest dumpsites. A recent United Nations study found that nearly half of the children surveyed who live near the dumpsite suffer from serious medical conditions as a result of contamination from pollutants¹. Yet many of these children and their families get their main source of income from that very dumpsite. Cathy Majtenyi files this report on the dilemma².

A thick, bluish-white haze³ hangs over the Dandora Municipal Dumping Site and blows into the nearby slums and low income neighborhoods where up to one million people live.

Njoroge Kimani is a clinical biochemist at Kenyatta Hospital and author of a UN report on the dump. "From what I was able to collect from the people on the ground, the situation is actually very, very serious, because the residents themselves, they told, me, 'We are holding funerals every day because of this dumping site'."

Some 2,000 tons of garbage, including wood with lead-base paint, are deposited into the 12 hectare site each day.

The United Nations Environment Program study found that the lead in the blood of one half of 328 children tested exceeds international standards. Many suffer from chronic⁴ bronchitis, asthma⁵, anemia⁶, skin infections and other diseases.

Children and adults are exposed to toxins⁷ in the Nairobi River, which flows near the dump. Lead, mercury, cadmium and other pollutants are also found in nearby soil and the ever-present smokey haze.

To address the problem, City Council recently  proposed moving the dump to an isolated⁸ location outside of Nairobi, called Ruai.

City councilor Benjamin Njenga says the new dump should be in place by next July. "We know people have really suffered, and that's why we have taken that bold move of seeking for strategic partners so that we can relocate the dumpsite from here to Ruai."

But to the 120,000 people crammed⁹ into the crowded neighborhood of Korogocho, who earn on average less than one dollar a day, the dump is a source of income. People sift¹⁰ through through the garbage and sell what they can. Some people even eat from the dump.

Eighteen-year-old David Komisona says he earns three to four dollars per day selling garbage. "A kilogram of papers is three shillings; carton is three shillings also. But there are those who buy paper and carton at five shillings (per kilo)."

Community members and activists¹¹ say relocating the dump will only transfer the problems to others and deprive Korogocho and other residents of their livelihoods¹².

 

The United Nations Environment Program proposes reducing pollution while still providing economic opportunities for the residents. Opportunities could include waste separation, incineration, and the production and sale of methane¹³ gas.

1 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

3 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

5 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

6 anemia   

n.贫血，贫血症

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。
• I was put on iron tablets for my anemia.我曾因贫血吃补铁药片。

7 toxins   

n.毒素( toxin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
• Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

9 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

10 sift   

v.筛撒，纷落，详察

参考例句：

• Sift out the wheat from the chaff.把小麦的壳筛出来。
• Sift sugar on top of the cake.在蛋糕上面撒上糖。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

13 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。