研究发现纸吸管或比塑料吸管更有害

近日，比利时研究人员发现，作为塑料吸管的环保替代品而推广的纸吸管，可能含有对人类和环境有害的“永久性化学物质”。该研究发现，大多数吸管都含有该化学物质，但纸制吸管中最为常见。

🤔️小作业：

a. It is mainly used in the production of steel straws.

b. It is a recent discovery in the realm of synthetic chemicals. c. Its effects on human health are immediate and severe. d. Despite low concentrations, its cumulative effects can pose potential risks.

a. Economic reasons.

b. Reducing chemical consumption.

c. Environmental concerns. d. Health issues related to PFAS.

a. 90  b. 170

c. 285  d. 345

无注释原文：

Paper straws contain toxic ‘forever chemicals’ potentially harmful to health: study

From: Fox Business

Paper straws, which are being pushed across the U.S. as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic versions, may contain "forever chemicals" that are harmful to both humans and the environment and were observed more often than in a sample of plastic straws, a new European study has found.

Belgian researchers tested 39 straw brands from restaurants and retailers for synthetic chemicals known as poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The study found that the majority of straws contained those chemicals, but they were most common in those made from paper and bamboo. 

The chemicals are referred to as "forever chemicals" as they can remain for thousands of years in the environment. The chemicals have been associated with health issues including thyroid disease, increased cholesterol, liver damage and kidney and testicular cancer and can harm the environment as well.

Of the brands tested, 90% of the paper straws contained PFAS, compared to 80% of bamboo straws, 75% of plastic straws and 40% of glass straws. None of the steel straws contained the chemicals.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants. 

Researchers stressed that PFAS concentration was low and pose a limited risk to health, given that people use such straws only occasionally. But they can remain in the body for years, and concentrations can build up, they said in a release.

"Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic," researcher Dr Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, said in a statement.

"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that’s not necessarily true." 

It wasn’t clear whether the chemicals were added by manufacturers or occurred due to contamination from soil and water during manufacturing. The study did not look into whether the straws could contaminate liquids.

"The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows that they are not necessarily biodegradable," Groffen said. "We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw – or just avoid using straws at all." 

The study comes as European countries, and some parts of the U.S., have pushed to transition away from plastic straws to alternatives in efforts to be more environmentally friendly. States including California and New York have slapped bans on single-use plastic straws in restaurants.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Paper straws contain toxic ‘forever chemicals’ potentially harmful to health: study

From: Fox Business

Paper straws, which are being pushed across the U.S. as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic versions, may contain "forever chemicals" that are harmful to both humans and the environment and were observed more often than in a sample of plastic straws, a new European study has found.

欧洲的一项新研究发现，作为塑料吸管的环保替代品而在全美推广的纸吸管，可能含有对人类和环境有害的“永久性化学物质”，而且与塑料吸管样本相比，这种化学物质在纸吸管样本中更常见。

toxic /ˈtɒksɪk/ 1）表示“有毒的；引起中毒的”，相当于poisonous，如：toxic waste/chemicals/effluent 有毒的废料/化学品/废水，牛津词典2018年度词汇就是：Toxic.

2）表示“令人极不愉快的；不可接受的”，英文解释为“very unpleasant or unacceptable”。

3）表示“恶毒的；造成阴影的”，英文解释为“causing you a lot of harm and unhappiness over a long period of time”如：a toxic relationship 带毒的友谊。

straw可以指“（喝饮料用的）吸管”，英文解释为“a thin tube of plastic or paper that you suck a drink through”，如：塑料吸管 plastic straws；还有另外一个含义，表示“（收割后干燥的）禾秆，麦秆，稻草”（of stems or other grain plants that have been cut and dried. Straw is used for making wheat , hats, etc., for packing things to protect them, and as food for animals or for them to sleep on. mats）。

📍我们常说的，压垮骆驼的“最后一根稻草”就是the last/final straw或者the straw that breaks the camel's back；可以指“终于使人不堪忍受的最后一件事（或因素等）”（the last in a series of bad events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer）举个🌰：Losing my job was bad enough, but being evicted was the final straw. 丢了工作已经够糟了，但被房东赶出门后我彻底崩溃了。

eco-friendly /ˈiː.kəʊˌfrend.li/ 表示“环保的；不损害环境的”，英文解释为“Eco-friendly products have been designed to do the least possible damage to the environment.”如：eco-friendly detergent 环保洗衣粉。

alternative本身可以作名词也可以作形容词，表示“可替代的，供选择的（事物）”英文解释为“An alternative plan or method is one that you can use if you do not want to use another one.”举个🌰：An alternative venue for the concert is being sought. 正在寻找其他可举办音乐会的地方。

Belgian researchers tested 39 straw brands from restaurants and retailers for synthetic chemicals known as poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The study found that the majority of straws contained those chemicals, but they were most common in those made from paper and bamboo.

比利时研究人员对来自餐馆和零售商的39个吸管品牌进行了测试，以检测其是否含有被称为全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）的合成化学物质。研究发现，大多数吸管都含有这些化学物质，但纸制和竹制吸管中最为常见。

synthetic /sɪnˈθetɪk/ 表示“合成的，人造的”，英文解释为“Synthetic products are made from artificial substances, often copying a natural product.”如：synthetic fibres 人造纤维。

The chemicals are referred to as "forever chemicals" as they can remain for thousands of years in the environment. The chemicals have been associated with health issues including thyroid disease, increased cholesterol, liver damage and kidney and testicular cancer and can harm the environment as well.

这些化学物质被称为“永久性化学物质”，因为它们可以在环境中存留数千年。这些化学物质与甲状腺疾病、胆固醇升高、肝损伤以及肾和睾丸癌等健康问题有关，并且还会危害环境。

thyroid /ˈθaɪ.rɔɪd/ 表示“甲状腺”，英文解释为“a gland (= an organ) in the front of the neck that is involved in controlling the way the body develops and works”

cholesterol /kə'lɛstərɔl/ 表示“胆固醇”，英文解释为“Cholesterol is a substance that exists in the fat, tissues, and blood of all animals. Too much cholesterol in a person's blood can cause heart disease.”如：a dangerously high cholesterol level. 危险的高胆固醇水平。

liver /ˈlɪv.ər/ 表示“肝，肝脏”，英文解释为“a large organ in the body that cleans the blood and produces bile, or this organ from an animal used as meat”

kidney /ˈkɪd.ni/ 表示“肾，肾脏”，英文解释为“either of a pair of small organs in the body that take away waste matter from the blood to produce urine”如：kidney failure 肾脏衰竭。

Of the brands tested, 90% of the paper straws contained PFAS, compared to 80% of bamboo straws, 75% of plastic straws and 40% of glass straws. None of the steel straws contained the chemicals.

经测试的品牌中，90%的纸吸管含有PFAS，与此相比，竹制吸管为80%，塑料吸管为75%，玻璃吸管为40%。而不锈钢吸管则不含这种化学物质。

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants.

这项研究发表在经同行评审的期刊《食品添加剂与污染物》（Food Additives and Contaminants）上。

表示“同行评审，同行评议”，英文解释为“the evaluation by fellow specialists of research that someone has done in order to assess its suitability for publication or further development”。

表示“（食品的）添加剂，添加物”，英文解释为“An additive is a substance which is added in small amounts to foods or other things in order to improve them or to make them last longer.”

📍词根“-ive”表示"具有...性质的"，前缀“add-”表示"添加"。想象你正在给食物添加"添加剂"以改善味道或外观。类似的：preservative（防腐剂）

contaminant /kənˈtæm.ɪ.nənt/ 表示“致污物，污染物”，英文解释为“a substance that makes something less pure or makes it poisonous”举个🌰：Make sure that all equipment is clean and free of contaminants. 要确保所有设备是干净、未受污染的。

Researchers stressed that PFAS concentration was low and pose a limited risk to health, given that people use such straws only occasionally. But they can remain in the body for years, and concentrations can build up, they said in a release.

研究人员强调，鉴于人们只是偶尔使用这种吸管，PFAS的浓度很低，对健康造成的风险有限。但他们在一份声明中表示，这些化学物质可以在体内存留多年，且浓度会不断积累。

concentration除了表示我们平常熟悉的“专注、专心；关注、重视；集中、聚集”等，还可以表示“浓度”，英文解释为“the exact amount of one particular substance that is found in another substance”举个🌰：High concentrations of toxic elements were found in the polluted areas. 在被污染地区发现了高浓度的有毒元素。

摆pose这个词大家应该都比较熟悉，作名词，表示“（为拍照、画像等摆出的）样子，姿势”，英文解释为“a particular position in which a person stands, sits, etc. in order to be photographed, painted, etc.”

而pose作动词，1）表示“摆好姿势（拍照）”，英文解释为“to move into and stay in a particular position, in order to be photographed, painted, etc.”举个🌰：We all posed for our photographs next to the Statue of Liberty. 我们都在自由女神像边摆好了姿势拍照。

2）表示“造成，引起（尤指问题或困难）”，英文解释为“to cause something, especially a problem or difficulty”举个🌰：Nuclear weapons pose a threat to everyone. 核武器对所有的人都构成了威胁。

3）表示“（尤指在正式场合）提出（问题），质询”，英文解释为“to ask a question, especially in a formal situation such as a meeting”举个🌰：Can we go back to the question that LR posed earlier? 我们能否回到LR早先提出的那个问题上去？

"Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic," researcher Dr Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, said in a statement.

“人们通常宣传用纸和竹子等植物材料制成的吸管比塑料吸管更可持续、更环保。”安特卫普大学（University of Antwerp）环境科学家、研究员蒂莫·格罗芬博士（Dr. Thimo Groffen）在声明中说。

表示“（尤指为了销售某物）登广告，做广告，宣传；公布；征聘”，英文解释为“to make something known generally or in public, especially in order to sell it”举个🌰：We advertised our car in the local newspaper. 我们在当地报纸上登了广告出售我们的轿车。

表示“（对环境没有损害或损害很小因而）可持续的，能长期维持的”，英文解释为“causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time”举个🌰：A large international meeting was held with the aim of promoting sustainable development in all countries. 召开了一个旨在推进所有国家可持续发展的大型国际会议。

"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that’s not necessarily true."

“但是，这些吸管中的PFAS含量意味着事实并非如此。”

It wasn’t clear whether the chemicals were added by manufacturers or occurred due to contamination from soil and water during manufacturing. The study did not look into whether the straws could contaminate liquids.

目前尚不清楚是制造商添加了这些化学物质，还是在制造过程中由于土壤和水的污染而产生。这项研究并未探讨吸管是否可能污染液体。

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。

liquid /ˈlɪk.wɪd/ 表示“液体”，英文解释为“a substance, such as water, that is not solid or a gas and that can be poured easily”举个🌰：Mercury is a liquid at room temperature. 水银在室温下为液体。

"The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows that they are not necessarily biodegradable," Groffen said. "We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw – or just avoid using straws at all."

格罗芬表示：“纸制和竹制吸管中的PFAS表明它们并不一定是可生物降解的。我们在不锈钢吸管中未检测到任何PFAS，所以我建议消费者使用这种吸管，或者干脆不使用吸管。”

biodegradable /ˌbaɪ.əʊ.dɪˈɡreɪ.də.bəl/ 表示“能进行生物降解的，可进行生物分解的”，英文解释为“able to decay naturally and in a way that is not harmful”举个🌰：Biodegradable packaging helps to limit the amount of harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere. 可生物降解包装有助于减少排放到大气层中的有害化学物质的数量。

stainless /ˈsteɪn.ləs/ 1）表示“没有污迹的；不生锈的”，英文解释为“with no marks on it, or made of a substance that is not damaged by air or water and that does not change colour”如：stainless work surfaces 一尘不染的工作台面；

2）表示“道德高尚的;没做过错事的”，英文解释为“morally good; having done nothing that could be considered to be wrong”举个🌰：He was a man of stainless character. 他是一个情操高尚的人。

The study comes as European countries, and some parts of the U.S., have pushed to transition away from plastic straws to alternatives in efforts to be more environmentally friendly. States including California and New York have slapped bans on single-use plastic straws in restaurants.

这项研究的发布时机恰逢欧洲国家和美国部分地区正推动从塑料吸管过渡到其他替代品，以更加环保。包括加利福尼亚和纽约在内的一些州已禁止餐馆使用一次性塑料吸管。

可以作名词，也可以作动词，表示“转变；过渡”，英文解释为“a change from one form or type to another, or the process by which this happens”举个🌰：The health-care system is in transition at the moment. 医疗保健制度目前正在变革中。

slap sth on/onto (sth/sb)表示“强制实施，强制执行；强制（某人）接受”，英文解释为“to force a rule, tax, punishment, etc. to be obeyed or received”举个🌰：The librarian slapped a fine on him for returning the books late. 因为他逾期还书，图书管理员强制他交了罚款。

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