人类血液中首次发现微塑料颗粒

近日，在最新研究中，科学家首次在人类血液中发现了微塑料颗粒。

据了解，一个荷兰研究团队对22名志愿者的血样进行检测。结果发现，有17人（约占77%）的血液中含有可量化的微塑料颗粒。

无注释原文：

Microplastics found in human blood for first time

The Guardian

Microplastic pollution has been detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested.

The discovery shows the particles can travel around the body and may lodge in organs. The impact on health is as yet unknown. But researchers are concerned as microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and air pollution particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of early deaths a year.

Huge amounts of plastic waste are dumped in the environment and microplastics now contaminate the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People were already known to consume the tiny particles via food and water as well as breathing them in, and they have been found in the faeces of babies and adults.

The scientists analysed blood samples from 22 anonymous donors, all healthy adults and found plastic particles in 17. Half the samples contained PET plastic, which is commonly used in drinks bottles, while a third contained polystyrene, used for packaging food and other products. A quarter of the blood samples contained polyethylene, from which plastic carrier bags are made.

“Our study is the first indication that we have polymer particles in our blood – it’s a breakthrough result,” said Prof Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. “But we have to extend the research and increase the sample sizes, the number of polymers assessed, etc.” Further studies by a number of groups are already under way, he said.

“It is certainly reasonable to be concerned,” Vethaak told the Guardian. “The particles are there and are transported throughout the body.” He said previous work had shown that microplastics were 10 times higher in the faeces of babies compared with adults and that babies fed with plastic bottles are swallowing millions of microplastic particles a day.

“We also know in general that babies and young children are more vulnerable to chemical and particle exposure,” he said. “That worries me a lot.”

The new research is published in the journal Environment International and adapted existing techniques to detect and analyse particles as small as 0.0007mm. Some of the blood samples contained two or three types of plastic. The team used steel syringe needles and glass tubes to avoid contamination, and tested for background levels of microplastics using blank samples.

Vethaak acknowledged that the amount and type of plastic varied considerably between the blood samples. “But this is a pioneering study,” he said, with more work now needed. He said the differences might reflect short-term exposure before the blood samples were taken, such as drinking from a plastic-lined coffee cup, or wearing a plastic face mask.

“The big question is what is happening in our body?” Vethaak said. “Are the particles retained in the body? Are they transported to certain organs, such as getting past the blood-brain barrier? And are these levels sufficiently high to trigger disease? We urgently need to fund further research so we can find out.”

The new research was funded by the Dutch National Organisation for Health Research and Development and Common Seas, a social enterprise working to reduce plastic pollution.

A recent study found that microplastics can latch on to the outer membranes of red blood cells and may limit their ability to transport oxygen. The particles have also been found in the placentas of pregnant women, and in pregnant rats they pass rapidly through the lungs into the hearts, brains and other organs of the foetuses.

A new review paper published on Tuesday, co-authored by Vethaak, assessed cancer risk and concluded: “More detailed research on how micro- and nano-plastics affect the structures and processes of the human body, and whether and how they can transform cells and induce carcinogenesis, is urgently needed, particularly in light of the exponential increase in plastic production. The problem is becoming more urgent with each day.”

- ◆ -

注：中文文本为机器翻译仅供参考，并非一一对应

含注释全文：

Microplastics found in human blood for first time

The Guardian

Microplastic pollution has been detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested.

微塑料污染首次在人类血液中被检测到，科学家在几乎80%的被检测者身上发现了这种微小颗粒。

表示“微塑料，塑料微粒”，英文解释为“extremely small pieces of plastic that are harmful to the environment, used in cosmetics (= substances put on the face or body to improve appearance), or formed when plastic waste material breaks down”

particle /ˈpɑː.tɪ.kəl/ 表示“微粒，粒子”，英文解释为“an extremely small piece of matter”举个🌰：

Electrons are atomic particles.

电子是原子粒子。

The discovery shows the particles can travel around the body and may lodge in organs. The impact on health is as yet unknown. But researchers are concerned as microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and air pollution particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of early deaths a year.

这一发现表明，这些颗粒可以在全身游走，并可能残留在器官中。其对健康的影响尚不清楚。但研究人员感到担忧，因为微塑料在实验室中会对人体细胞造成损害，而空气污染颗粒已经被认为会进入人体，并导致每年数百万人早逝。

lodge /lɒdʒ/ 1）表示“（被）固定，卡住”，英文解释为“to become fixed or stuck somewhere; to make sth become fixed or stuck somewhere”举个🌰：

One of the bullets lodged in his chest.

有一颗子弹嵌在了他的胸部。

2）表示“存放，保管”，英文解释为“to put something in a safe place”举个🌰：

You should lodge a copy of the letter with your solicitor.

你应该将这封信的一份复印件交给律师保管。

3）表示“借宿，借住”，英文解释为“to pay rent to stay somewhere”举个🌰：

She lodged with Mrs RL when she first came to Hangzhou.

她第一次来杭州时借宿在RL太太家里。

📍lodge a complaint/protest/appeal 表示“进行投诉/提出抗议/提出上诉”，英文解释为：to make a formal or official complaint, protest etc. 举个🌰：

He lodged an appeal with the High Court.

他向高等法院提出上诉。

Huge amounts of plastic waste are dumped in the environment and microplastics now contaminate the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People were already known to consume the tiny particles via food and water as well as breathing them in, and they have been found in the faeces of babies and adults.

大量的塑料垃圾被倾倒在环境中，微塑料现在污染了整个地球，从珠穆朗玛峰的顶峰到最深的海洋。人们会通过食物和水以及呼吸摄入这些微小颗粒，而且在婴儿和成人的粪便中也发现了这些颗粒。

表示“抛弃；乱扔，乱丢”，英文解释为“to get rid of something unwanted, especially by leaving it in a place where it is not allowed to be”举个🌰：

Several old cars had been dumped near the beach.

几辆旧汽车被丢弃在海滩附近。

表示“污染；弄脏”，英文解释为“to make a substance or place dirty or no longer pure by adding a substance that is dangerous or carries disease”举个🌰：

The drinking water has become contaminated with lead.

饮用水被铅污染了。

英式 faeces /ˈfiː.siːz/ 美式：feces，表示“粪便；排泄物”，英文解释为“the solid waste passed out of the body of a human or animal through the bowels”举个🌰：

The disease is spread by the contamination of food and water by faeces.

这种疾病是由排泄物造成的食物和水源污染传播的。

The scientists analysed blood samples from 22 anonymous donors, all healthy adults and found plastic particles in 17. Half the samples contained PET plastic, which is commonly used in drinks bottles, while a third contained polystyrene, used for packaging food and other products. A quarter of the blood samples contained polyethylene, from which plastic carrier bags are made.

科学家们分析了22名匿名捐赠者的血液样本，他们都是健康的成年人，最终在17个样本中发现了微塑料颗粒。一半的样本中含有PET塑料，它通常用于饮料瓶，而三分之一的样本含有聚苯乙烯（polystyrene），它用于包装食品及其他产品。四分之一的血液样本含有聚乙烯（polyethylene），塑料袋就是用聚乙烯制成的。

1）表示“匿名的”，英文解释为“If you remain anonymous when you do something, you do not let people know that you were the person who did it.”举个🌰：

An anonymous benefactor stepped in to provide the prize money. 

一位匿名捐助人参与进来提供了奖金。

2）表示“不记名的”，英文解释为“Something that is anonymous does not reveal who you are.”举个🌰：

Of course, that would have to be by anonymous vote.

当然，那得是通过不记名投票。

3）表示“没有特色的”，英文解释为“without any unusual or interesting features”，如：long stretches of dull and anonymous countryside 大片大片千篇一律、枯燥平淡的乡村。举个🌰：

He has a rather anonymous face.

他相貌平平。

polystyrene /ˌpɒl.ɪˈstaɪ.riːn/ 表示“聚苯乙烯（泡沫塑料）”，英文解释为“a light, usually white plastic used especially for putting around delicate objects inside containers to protect them from damage, or for putting around something to prevent it from losing heat”如：polystyrene cups/plates 聚苯乙烯杯/盘。

polyethylene /ˌpɒl.iˈeθ.əl.iːn/ 表示“聚乙烯”，英文解释为“a light, usually thin, soft plastic, often used for making bags or for keeping things dry or fresh”如：a polyethylene bag 聚乙烯塑料袋。

“Our study is the first indication that we have polymer particles in our blood – it’s a breakthrough result,” said Prof Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. “But we have to extend the research and increase the sample sizes, the number of polymers assessed, etc.” Further studies by a number of groups are already under way, he said.

“我们的研究首次表明我们的血液中有聚合物颗粒--这是一个突破性的结果，”荷兰阿姆斯特丹自由大学（Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam）的生态毒理学家迪克·维塔克教授（Prof Dick Vethaak）说。“但我们必须扩大研究范围，增加样本规模和评估的聚合物数量等。”他说，许多团队已经在进行深入研究。

polymer /ˈpɒl.ɪ.mər/ 表示“聚合物”，英文解释为“A polymer is a chemical compound with large molecules made of many smaller molecules of the same kind. Some polymers exist naturally and others are produced in laboratories and factories.”

“It is certainly reasonable to be concerned,” Vethaak told the Guardian. “The particles are there and are transported throughout the body.” He said previous work had shown that microplastics were 10 times higher in the faeces of babies compared with adults and that babies fed with plastic bottles are swallowing millions of microplastic particles a day.

“担心当然是合理的，”维塔克教授告诉《卫报》（The Guardian）。“这些颗粒就在那里，并被输送到整个身体。”他说，以前的研究工作表明，婴儿粪便中的微塑料含量比成人的高10倍，用塑料瓶喂养的婴儿每天要吞下数百万微塑料颗粒。

表示“吞咽，吞下，咽下”，英文解释为“to cause food, drink, pills, etc. to move from your mouth into your stomach by using the muscles of your throat”举个🌰：

My throat is so sore that it really hurts when I swallow.

我的喉咙很痛，吞咽起来很难受。

“We also know in general that babies and young children are more vulnerable to chemical and particle exposure,” he said. “That worries me a lot.”

“我们也知道，一般来说，婴幼儿更容易受到化学品和颗粒物的影响，”他说。“这让我非常担心。”

表示“易受伤的；易受影响（或攻击）的；脆弱的”，英文解释为“able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked”举个🌰：

I felt very vulnerable, standing there without any clothes on.

一丝不挂地站在那儿，我感觉自己不堪一击。

The new research is published in the journal Environment International and adapted existing techniques to detect and analyse particles as small as 0.0007mm. Some of the blood samples contained two or three types of plastic. The team used steel syringe needles and glass tubes to avoid contamination, and tested for background levels of microplastics using blank samples.

这项新的研究发表在《国际环境》（Environment International）杂志上，并调整了现有技术，以检测和分析小至0.0007毫米的颗粒。一些血液样本中含有两种或三种塑料颗粒。该团队使用钢制注射器针头和玻璃管以避免污染，并使用空白样本测试微塑料的基准水平。

syringe /ˈsɪrɪndʒ/ 表示“注射器，注射筒”，英文解释为“a hollow, cylinder-shaped piece of equipment used for sucking liquid out of something or pushing liquid into something, especially one with a needle that can be put under the skin and used to inject drugs, remove small amounts of blood, etc.”

表示“污染，玷污；污染物”，英文解释为“something that contaminates”；contaminate作动词，表示“污染；弄脏”，英文解释为“to make a substance or place dirty or no longer pure by adding a substance that is dangerous or carries disease”举个🌰：

The drinking water has become contaminated with lead.

饮用水被铅污染了。

Vethaak acknowledged that the amount and type of plastic varied considerably between the blood samples. “But this is a pioneering study,” he said, with more work now needed. He said the differences might reflect short-term exposure before the blood samples were taken, such as drinking from a plastic-lined coffee cup, or wearing a plastic face mask.

维塔克教授承认，塑料的数量和类型在血液样本之间有很大的不同。他说：“但这是一项开创性的研究，”现在需要更多的研究工作。他说，这些差异可能反映了在采集血样之前的短期暴露，例如含塑料内层的咖啡杯喝水，或戴着塑料口罩。

“The big question is what is happening in our body?” Vethaak said. “Are the particles retained in the body? Are they transported to certain organs, such as getting past the blood-brain barrier?” And are these levels sufficiently high to trigger disease? We urgently need to fund further research so we can find out.”

“最大的问题是我们的身体里发生了什么？”维塔克教授说。“这些颗粒是否保留在体内？它们是否被输送到某些器官，例如透过血脑屏障？而这些量是否高到足以诱发疾病？我们迫切需要资助进一步的研究，以便我们能够找到答案。”

常见意思表示“保留”，英文解释为“To retain something means to continue to have that thing.”举个🌰：

The interior of the shop still retains a nineteenth-century atmosphere. 

那家商店内部依然保持着19世纪的格调。

1）作动词，除了表示“发动；引起；触发”，英文解释为“to make sth happen suddenly”举个🌰：

Nuts can trigger off a violent allergic reaction.

坚果可以引起严重的过敏反应。

2）作名词，表示“扳机”，英文解释为“The trigger of a gun is a small lever which you pull to fire it.”举个🌰：

A man pointed a gun at them and pulled the trigger.

一个男人用枪指着他们，扣动了扳机。

类似的还有：

📍stir表示“激发，激起（强烈的感情）；引起（强烈的反应）”，英文解释为“to make someone have a strong feeling or reaction”，举个🌰：

The poem succeeds in stirring the imagination.

这首诗能够激发起想象力。

📍provoke也表示“激起，引起”，英文解释为“to cause a reaction or feeling, especially a sudden one”，如：provoke debate/discussion 激起辩论/讨论。

📍spur 鼓动；激励；鞭策；刺激；鼓舞”，英文解释为“If one thing spurs you to do another, it encourages you to do it.”举个🌰：

It's the money that spurs these fishermen to risk a long ocean journey in their flimsy boats.

是金钱驱使这些渔民驾驶单薄的小船冒险出海远航。

🎬电影《龙之心3：巫师的诅咒》（Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse）中的台词提到：To spur the clans to war. 激励部族发起战争。

The new research was funded by the Dutch National Organisation for Health Research and Development and Common Seas, a social enterprise working to reduce plastic pollution.

这项新研究由荷兰国家卫生研究与发展组织（Dutch National Organisation for Health Research and Development）和致力于减少塑料污染的社会企业“Common Seas”资助。

A recent study found that microplastics can latch on to the outer membranes of red blood cells and may limit their ability to transport oxygen. The particles have also been found in the placentas of pregnant women, and in pregnant rats they pass rapidly through the lungs into the hearts, brains and other organs of the foetuses.

最近的一项研究发现，微塑料可以附着在红细胞的外膜上，并可能限制其运输氧气的能力。在孕妇的胎盘中也发现了这些颗粒，而在怀孕的大鼠中，它们迅速通过肺部进入胎儿的心脏、大脑和其他器官。

这个短语也可写成 latch onto。

1）表示“理解，懂得，领会（想法或某人的话）”，英文解释为“to understand an idea or what sb is saying”举个🌰：

It was a difficult concept to grasp, but I soon latched on.

那是个难以弄明白的概念，但我很快就理解了。

2）表示“变得依附于”，英文解释为“to become attached to sb/sth”，如：antibodies that latch on to germs 依附于细菌的抗体。

3）表示“纠缠，缠住（某人）”，英文解释为“to join sb and stay in their company, especially when they would prefer you not to be with them.”

4）表示“对…产生浓厚的兴趣”，英文解释为“to develop a strong interest in sth”举个🌰：

She always latches on to the latest craze.

她总是对最新时尚有浓厚的兴趣。

🎬 电影《冬日奇缘》（Winter's Tale）中的一段非常浪漫的“情话”：“I don't know how I ever latched on to someone like you,” but I sure hope I can keep you interested in me forever. I love you and will always be ture. 我不知道我怎么会喜欢上你这样的人，但我希望我能让你永远对我感兴趣。我爱你，永远都会。

membrane /ˈmɛmbreɪn/ 1）表示“膜”，英文解释为“A membrane is a thin piece of skin that connects or covers parts of a person's or animal's body.”如：inflammation of the thin membrane that lines the heart 心膜发炎。

2）表示“薄膜；膜状物”，英文解释为“a very thin piece of material that covers an opening”。

placenta /pləˈsen.tə/ 表示“胎盘”，英文解释为“the temporary organ that feeds a foetus (= developing baby) inside its mother's womb”

foetus /ˈfiː.təs/ 表示“胎儿；胎”，英文解释为“a young human or animal before it is born, especially a human more than eight weeks after fertilization”。

A new review paper published on Tuesday, co-authored by Vethaak, assessed cancer risk and concluded: “More detailed research on how micro- and nano-plastics affect the structures and processes of the human body, and whether and how they can transform cells and induce carcinogenesis, is urgently needed, particularly in light of the exponential increase in plastic production. The problem is becoming more urgent with each day.”

周二发表的一篇由维塔克教授合著的新综述论文评估了癌症风险并得出结论：“迫切需要对微塑料和纳米塑料如何影响人体的结构和过程，以及它们是否、如何转化细胞和诱发癌变进行更详细的研究，特别是考虑到塑料产量的指数级增长。这个问题变得日益紧迫。”

作动词，此处表示“ 诱发（某种身体反应）；引起，导致”，英文解释为“to cause a particular physical condition”，如：a drug-induced coma 药物引起的昏迷，举个🌰：

Patients with eating disorders may use drugs to induce vomiting.

患有进食障碍的人可使用药物催吐。

carcinogenesis /ˌkɑː.sɪn.əˈdʒen.ə.sɪs/ 表示“致癌过程”，英文解释为“the process by which normal cells become cancer cells”

In (the) light of表示“根据；考虑到，鉴于”，英文解释为“If something is possible in the light of particular information, it is only possible because you have this information.”举个🌰：

In the light of this information it is now possible to identify a number of key issues.

根据这一信息，现在有可能发现很多关键问题。

🎬电影《完美音调2》（Pitch Perfect 2）中的台词提到：In light of this embarrassing 鉴于这个让人尴尬的...

📺美剧《硅谷》（Silicon Valley）中的台词提到：Well, in light of recent activities, it appears that I could do a goddamn thing about it. 有鉴于最近的种种 看来我还是有办法的。

exponential /ˌek.spəˈnen.ʃəl/ 表示“（增长率）越来越快的，呈几何数（增长）的；含有指数的”，英文解释为“An exponential rate of increase becomes quicker and quicker as the thing that increases becomes larger.”举个🌰：

We are looking for exponential growth in our investment.

我们希望投资能够呈几何数增长。

🎬电影《星际穿越》（Interstellar）中的台词提到：After that, with surrogacy, the growth becomes exponential. 之后可以利用代孕的方式使人口指数增长。

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