Breaking News English

Scientists say we are unaware of a [massively / massive] cause of pollution that is right under our [really / very] noses. Everyday household items such as toothpaste, shaving foam, deodorant, perfume and furniture [polishing / polish] contain volatile [compounds / compound] that help to cause pollution. Dr Brian McDonald, an air-pollution researcher at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, [conduction / conducted] research into how our homes create pollution. His team was [surprising / surprised] to find that household items now contribute as [heavily / heavy] to particular types of air pollution as cars, trucks and [other / another] vehicles. Dr McDonald said that as "the transportation [sector / sect] gets cleaner, these other sources...become more and more [important / importantly] ".

The researchers focused [in / on] volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a whole [derange / range] of household items. VOCs react with sunlight to [farm / form] ozone pollution. This escapes into the environment and gets [trapping / trapped] in our house or apartment, causing pollution in our homes. The scientists said VOCs interact [with / to] other chemicals to form tiny particles in the air. These particles can lead to [lung / lug] damage. Dr McDonald said governments should [regulate / require] household products more tightly to reduce their negative [compact / impact] on our health. He issued a stark warning, saying: "The things I use in the morning to get [ready / readily] for work are comparable to [emissions / commissions] that come out of the tailpipe of my car."