第2137期:Thousands More Chemicals in Plastics than Estimated

A recently released report from European scientists says there are 16,000 chemicals in plastic materials around the world. 

欧洲科学家最近发布的一份报告称，全球塑料材料中含有 16,000 种化学物质。 

The report said not enough is known about the safety of all those chemicals. They estimate that about 25 percent of these chemicals are possibly harmful to human health or the environment. 

报告称，人们对所有这些化学品的安全性了解还不够。他们估计，这些化学物质中约有 25% 可能对人类健康或环境有害。 

The Norwegian Research Council supported the creation of the report. It was released as officials are negotiating a United Nations treaty on plastic pollution. The U.N. estimates 400 million metric tons of plastic waste are produced every year. 

挪威研究委员会支持该报告的编写。该报告发布之际，官员们正在就联合国塑料污染条约进行谈判。联合国估计每年产生 4 亿吨塑料垃圾。 

Jane Muncke helped write the report. She is with the Swiss nonprofit Food Packaging Forum. She said to deal with plastic pollution, people must look at the “full life cycle of plastics.” 

简·蒙克帮助撰写了这份报告。她是瑞士非营利食品包装论坛的成员。她说，要解决塑料污染，人们必须着眼于“塑料的整个生命周期”。 

Researchers fear chemicals from plastics can spread into water and food. 

研究人员担心塑料中的化学物质会扩散到水和食物中。 

Muncke said, "We're finding hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic chemicals in people now and some of them have been linked to adverse health outcomes.” 

蒙克说：“我们现在在人们体内发现了数百甚至数千种塑料化学物质，其中一些与不良健康结果有关。” 

Activists say such effects include possible harm to the reproductive system and cardiovascular disease. 

活动人士表示，这种影响包括可能对生殖系统造成伤害和心血管疾病。 

Martin Wagner is the lead writer of the study. He is an environmental scientist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He said researchers find hundreds, if not thousands, of chemicals in everyday products when they look for them. 

马丁·瓦格纳是这项研究的主要作者。他是挪威科技大学的环境科学家。他说，研究人员在日常产品中寻找数百甚至数千种化学物质。

Kimberly Wise White is with the American Chemistry Council, an industry group. She said the findings “ignore real-world exposures.” She added the findings “paint an incomplete picture” for policy makers and the public. The plastics industry has said any worldwide treaty should support recycling and re-use of plastic. 

金伯利·怀斯·怀特 (Kimberly Wise White) 是美国化学理事会（一个行业组织）的成员。她表示，研究结果“忽略了现实世界的风险”。她补充说，调查结果为政策制定者和公众“描绘了一幅不完整的图景”。塑料行业表示，任何全球条约都应支持塑料的回收和再利用。 

But the writers of the recent report said that only dealing with plastic waste does not go far enough. They said there is a need for more information on chemicals in plastics, including recycled products. About 25 percent of the chemicals found lacked information on their chemical identity, the report said. 

但最近报告的作者表示，仅处理塑料垃圾还不够。他们表示，需要更多有关塑料中化学物质（包括回收产品）的信息。报告称，大约 25% 的发现化学品缺乏化学成分信息。

Wagner said the problem “is the chemical complexity of plastics.” He is a leading member of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. It is an organization of scientists and experts seeking to advise the plastics treaty process. 

瓦格纳表示，问题“在于塑料的化学复杂性”。他是有效塑料条约科学家联盟的主要成员。它是一个由科学家和专家组成的组织，致力于为塑料条约进程提供建议。 

Wagner said, "Often producers don't really know which kind of chemicals they have in their products and that comes from very complex value chains." 

瓦格纳说：“生产商通常并不真正知道他们的产品中含有哪种化学物质，而且这些化学物质来自非常复杂的价值链。” 

Six percent of the chemicals found in plastics are regulated internationally. Wagner said that without regulations, there is no reason for companies to identify what is in the plastics. 

塑料中 6% 的化学物质受到国际监管。瓦格纳表示，如果没有法规，公司就没有理由识别塑料中的成分。 

Last year, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said there were around 13,000 chemicals in plastics. 

去年，联合国环境规划署 (UNEP) 表示，塑料中含有约 13,000 种化学物质。 

Negotiations will continue in Ottawa, Canada. The aim is to finish a version of a treaty by December in the South Korean city of Busan.

谈判将在加拿大渥太华继续进行。目标是在 12 月之前在韩国釜山完成条约版本。