EZCNN 易英网

How many chemicals are you being exposed to every day? October 14, 2025

 

What's up, sunshine? Welcome to the show. Hope you're having an awesome day so far. You know, some days I get up at like 4 a.m. I do all kinds of sports stuff and other things here at CNN, and this is the favorite part of my day because of you.

 

So thank you. I'm Coy Wire. This is CNN10, where I tell you the what, letting you decide what to think.

 

Let's start with the continuing health warningsfrom scientists about the harm that microplastics and chemicals can have on the climate and our bodies.

 

So how much are we really being exposed to? Three CNN reporters across three continents wore special chemical tracking wristbands to find out. Here's part of their fascinating experiment.

 

Just cycling to the local grocery store.

 

This is our colleague Laura in London.

 

It's a cold Wednesday morning.

 

It is hot. It's humid. This is Jessie in Hong Kong.

 

It is a very busy Monday morning here in Hong Kong.

 

And that's me, Bill, on my New York City commute. Who knows what kind of fume exposure I'm getting on a daily basis.

 

fume [fjum] n.（有害，浓烈，或难闻的）烟，气

 

Together, we are guinea pigs on three continents. And with the help of these special wristbands and an international team of pollution experts,  

 

I'm just heating up some food. I have a gas stove at home, which is quite common in Hong Kong.

 

We'll spend five days measuring our exposure to the dozens of different chemicals.

 

I'm just going to put a little bit of makeup on before work. They come from living on a planet made of plastic.

 

Studies have shown there's over 16,000 chemicals and plastics. Of that, about 25% are known to be hazardous chemicals. And the vast majority of other chemicals, there's been not enough scientific data to show if it's safe or not.

 

Thanks to my better half, Kelly, we really try to avoid chemicals, all natural cleaning products if we can. We filter our water, drink out of glass. We have an air quality monitor here as well.

 

And for the better part of the last five days, I've either been at home or at the office. I haven't had to get on an airplane. That's rare.

 

So this is somewhat of a controlled environment to just see how clean my immediate surroundings are.

 

Every time I walked into a cafe or a restaurant or down a really busy road, a grocery store, you know, got on the train to go to work. But perhaps the place that I've most thought about it is when it comes to what I'm actually putting on my body.

 

So, you know, perfume or lotions, also cleaning products and what I'm using to clean the house.

 

I became quite aware when I was going through my daily life and, you know, at dinners or just walking around on the street, I'd wonder like, oh, I wonder what around me is potentially putting chemical pollutants in the air, whether that's my gas stove or things from a construction site. It made me realize how many construction sites I pass through on a daily basis.

 

What do we pick up? Yeah, you got a lot of chemical exposure, unfortunately. Really?

 

Everything that we looked for, we found.

 

All of our samples included flame retardants and UV stabilizers, an alphabet soup of BPA, BPF, BPS, and around two dozen chemicals on each of our bands.

 

flame retardant 阻燃剂

alphabet soup: a metaphor for an abundance of abbreviations or acronyms; 字母形面片汤

 

And then the most important one I would say that everyone should know is called phthalates. Phthalates. Phthalates.

 

phthalates [ˈθælets] n. 邻苯二甲酸酯

 

It's spelled with a P-H. It is the worst way to spell it. It's like an alphabetical mess.

 

But phthalates are super important because when we first looked at them, they're everywhere.

 

Phthalates are what makes plastic moldable and flexible. They're more regulated in Europe than Asia, and Jesse's levels are a bit higher than Laura's.

 

moldable [ˋmoldəb!] adj. 可塑造的

 

But it is so common globally, it's long been known as the everywhere chemical.

 

They are also endocrine disruptors, which hack human hormones and cause problems from cradle to grave, from fertility and child behavior to depression, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

 

endocrine [ˋɛndo͵krɪn] n. 内分泌（腺）；激素

disruptor [dɪsˈrʌp tɚ] n. 破坏者，分裂者，干扰者, 颠覆者

hack [hæk] v. 劈，砍；乱砍

from cradle to grave 从生到死，一辈子

 

Studies have shown about 100 percent of Americans have phthalates in their body, and it's so ubiquitous.

 

It's everywhere. If you look around your room and your house, your clothes are made of plastics, your furniture is made of plastics, everything's getting turned into plastics.

 

But by 2060, like about 35 years from now, we're going to have four times more plastic on the planet than we have today.

 

Pop quiz, hot shot.

 

What mountain range separates European Russia from Asian Russia?

 

Caucasus Mountains, Ural Mountains, the Himalayas, or the Siberian Range?

 

Ural Mountains 乌拉山脉

 

If you said Ural Mountains, you're amazing. Russia is the largest country in the world, covering about 11 percent of Earth's land area.

 

It has 11 time zones more than any other country.

 

Now to some news regarding China and Russia,where leaked documents appear to show that the Russian military has been helping to train Chinese troops on some new techniques. That includes airdropping heavy weaponry and troops from planes, a move that some critics fear could lead to a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

 

Our Will Ripley has more on the growing military alliance and what it could mean.

 

A trove of leaked documents verified by a leading think tank reveals Russia may be teaching China how to drop tanks and troops from a plane. This risky Cold Warmaneuver Russian airborne forces call landing in a train.

 

trove [trov] n. 贵重的发现物

maneuver [məˋnuvɚ] n.（部队等的）调动；机动；【军】军事演习，机动演习

 

A former Ukrainian intelligence officer who helped verify the leaked documents says it's clear why the Chinese want this training.

 

It's actually a very critical component which is needed for China being ready to invade Taiwan.

 

Oleksandr Daniliuk and a team at Royal United Services Institute examined 800 pages of documents leaked by hackers.

 

They suggest Russia's more experienced airborne forces may be helping China prepare for a Taiwan invasion.

 

Moscow may also supply armored vehicles, weapons and training a battalion of Chinese paratroopers, the documents say.

 

battalion [bəˋtæljən] n.【軍】營，大隊；協同作戰的部隊；軍隊

paratrooper [ˋpærə͵trupɚ] n.【军】伞兵

 

So you have this full airborne regiment landing on Taiwanese soil and it's all around the capital so like the capital could be taken in just a few days.

 

regiment [ˋrɛdʒəmənt] n.【军】团

 

Chinese military planners have long been looking for ways to seize control of Taiwan's sea and air within the first 72 hours before the U.S. and others have time to respond.

 

CNN has not verified the leaked documents and it's not clear if the deal is in effect.

 

Taiwan's foreign ministry says they've taken notice of Beijing and Moscow's recent military cooperation.

 

We also asked the Chinese and Russian defense ministries for comment, so far no response.

 

U.S. intelligence says China's People's Liberation Army is also rapidly expanding its rocket force, well over 3,000 missiles, new missile bases up and down the Chinese coast facing Taiwan. This base built in just two years.

 

up and down 上上下下；到处

 

Look at these satellite images from 2020 and 2022. They're even putting new bases in old buildings.

 

This is where the artillery brigade of the 73rd Army Group is stationed.

 

brigade [brɪˋged] n.【军】旅；（为某个目的而成立的）队，团

 

Now what's unique, they used a deserted textile factory as their base.

 

deserted [dɪˈzɝtɪd] adj. 被抛弃的; 空无一人的，空旷的，空荡荡的

 

Joseph Wen is an open source researcher in Taiwan. For the past four years, he's been using satellite imagery to map out China's massive military footprint.

 

What you're looking at on this map now is Pingtan, the closest point of China to Taiwan, and there are many long-range artillery units at this location, established at the end of 2022 right after Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

 

So what does it tell you that China is bolstering its artillery bases that are within firing range of Taiwan?

 

In recent years, China has put more focus on lower cost and higher volume long-range artillery, which could deplete Taiwan's reserve of air defense missiles.

 

reserve [rɪˋzɝv] n. 储备

 

Public television stations across the United States are feeling the impact of federal funding cuts this year, but some of them may soon be getting help from a familiar face and hairdo, the late Bob Ross.

 

hairdo [ˋhɛr͵du] n. 发型

 

30 paintings by the iconic painter and public TV host are set to be auctioned off next month, with all proceeds going to support local TV stations.

 

The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross ran for more than a decade on PBS, and even though Ross passed away from cancer in 1995, his popularity persists.

 

The former drill sergeant-turned-painter was famous for his gentle demeanor, beautiful landscapes, and motivational quotes like this.

 

drill sergeant 教育班长; 训练士官长

demeanor [dɪˋminɚ] n. 举动，行为；风度

 

Over and over again, I say, we don't make mistakes. We have happy accidents. So today, let's have a happy accident and see what we can make out of it.

 

Happy little trees. The paintings are projected to fetch up to a combined 1.4 million bucks. It's a move the president of Bob Ross, Inc.

 

hopes will ensure the late painter's legacy helps support the very medium that brought his own personal joy to the world.

 

medium [ˋmidɪəm] n. 媒介; 途径

 

Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10, is all about reaching new heights. In Connecticut, 11-year-old Madison Herrick just became the youngest female to hike the highest point in every state in the continental U.S.

 

After spending the last two years working towards her goal by summiting each state's greatest elevation, she saved her home state for last, finishing surrounded by nearly 30 friends and family members on Mount Frissell.

 

Basically saying that you were there at the top of the mountain, and when you sign the book, you put like the date and where you're from.

 

You did it!

 

Among her entourage was her favorite hiking partner, Dad, who's been by Madison's side throughout her entire trek to the world record. This story is a great reminder that you are more powerful than you know, and you can achieve goals at great heights, especially when surrounded by the ones you love.

 

entourage [͵ɑntuˋrɑʒ] n. 随行人员；随员

 

Alright, superstars, time for some shout outs now. Mrs. Stevenson at Stratford High School in Ladson, South Carolina, thank you for your kind words and for making us a part of your day. And, Ms. Whitaker at Noble Middle School in Wilmington, North Carolina, thanks for watching.

 

Remember, tomorrow is your Word Wednesday. Follow us @CoyWire and @CNN10 on Instagram. Put your unique vocabulary word and definition in the comments section on my most recent posts, and we're gonna choose a winner to work in tomorrow's show.

 

Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone. Let's do it again tomorrow. I'm Coy Wire, and we are CNN10.