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科学美国人60秒 SSS 淡水中的微塑料主要是衣服上脱落的绒毛

时间:2020-07-14 01:36:26

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(单词翻译)

This is Scientific American 60-second Science, I'm Eilene Augenbraun.

这里是科学美国人——60秒科学系列,我是艾琳·奥根布劳恩。

Plastic waste b?reaks down into ever smaller pieces, becoming tiny enough to waft1 in the air and flow in the water. A study published in June found that a person, on average, inhales2 or swallows at least 74,000 microscopic3 particles of plastic each year. And there are multitudes of miniscule plastic beads4 and fibers5 in the environment.

塑料垃圾会分解成更小的碎片,小到可以在空气中漂浮,也可以在水中漂流。今年6月发表的一项研究发现,一个人每年平均吸入或吞咽至少7.4万颗塑料微粒。环境中存在大量极小的塑料珠和塑料纤维。

So what's the most common type of microplastic? Recent research finds that, in freshwater at least, it's tiny pieces of artificial fibers—from laundry lint6.

那哪种微塑料最常见?最近的研究发现,至少在淡水中,最常见的是人造纤维的微小碎片——来自衣服上的绒毛。

"We were interested in the microbeads, and we found them, but we found microfibers much more prominently. So 60 percent of the microplastics that we obtained were actually these microfibers."

“我们以前对塑料微珠感兴趣,我们找到了它们,但我们发现微纤维更为突出。我们获得的60%的微塑料其实是这些微纤维。”

Sherri Mason is a chemist specializing in plastic pollution in freshwater systems at Penn State Behrend.

宾夕法尼亚州立大学贝伦德分校专门研究淡水系统塑料污染的化学家谢莉·梅森说到。

"I was surprised, although, like, you kind of go, 'Oh, I really shouldn't have been.' Because we all clean out our lint filters on our dryers8. You know, we should be like, 'Oh, of course if it's coming off in the dryer7, that whole process is starting in the washer.'"

“我很惊讶,不过你可能会说,‘哦,我真的不应该这样。’因为我们都会清理烘干机上的绒毛过滤器。我们应该说,‘哦,当然,如果微纤维掉在烘干机里,那整个过程就是从洗衣机里开始的。’”

Synthetic9 textiles shed nonbiodegradable fibers, which enter wastewater—and travel beyond. Mason's report is in the publication American Scientist.

合成纤维脱落下不可生物降解的纤维,这些纤维进入废水中,然后漂向别处。梅森的报告发表在刊物《美国科学家》上。

"There are microplastics in the air, and as you have, you know, precipitation events, it—they come raining down. Or as basically air comes into contact with water, these microplastics are going to end up in the water that way." Even in the most isolated10 corners of the world.

“空气中存在微塑料,当发生降水事件时,它们会随雨水落下。或者当空气与水接触时,这些微塑料最终会以这种方式进入水中。”就连世界上最偏远的角落都有微塑料。

Mason notes that natural materials also shed fibers in the wash, but microbes know how to digest them. Not so for microplastic fibers. They may take centuries to degrade, so they accumulate.

梅森指出,天然材料在洗涤过程中也会脱落纤维,但微生物知道如何消化它们。但微塑料纤维却不会被消化。它们可能需要数百年才能降解,因此它们会不断积累。

"And fibers, microfibers, are quickly becoming kind of the most prominent, and we find them everywhere. And I think now people are, like, 'Okay, we really need to be looking at these fibers.'"

“纤维、微纤维正迅速成为最突出的东西,而且我们到处都能找到它们。我认为现在人们会说,‘好吧,我们真的需要好好研究一下这些纤维了。’”

For Scientific American — 60-Second Science. I'm Eilene Augenbraun.

谢谢大家收听科学美国人——60秒科学。我是艾琳·奥根布劳恩。


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 waft XUbzV     
v.飘浮,飘荡;n.一股;一阵微风;飘荡
参考例句:
  • The bubble maker is like a sword that you waft in the air.吹出泡泡的东西就像你在空中挥舞的一把剑。
  • When she just about fall over,a waft of fragrance makes her stop.在她差点跌倒时,一股幽香让她停下脚步。
2 inhales 66258917108130a73b89d266a92937e0     
v.吸入( inhale的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Long, slow, full breaths with exhales at least as long as the inhales. 深长、缓慢、充分的呼吸,呼气至少要同吸气一样长。 来自互联网
  • An impressive pile forms. Heywood bends down and inhales deeply, smelling the aroma. Rapture. 一小排香烟。海沃德低下头使劲地闻着香烟的气味,高兴不已。 来自互联网
3 microscopic nDrxq     
adj.微小的,细微的,极小的,显微的
参考例句:
  • It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
  • A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。
4 beads 894701f6859a9d5c3c045fd6f355dbf5     
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链
参考例句:
  • a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
  • Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。
5 fibers 421d63991f1d1fc8826d6e71d5e15f53     
光纤( fiber的名词复数 ); (织物的)质地; 纤维,纤维物质
参考例句:
  • Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上,以硫酸钠为凝固剂,对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝,制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
  • Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。
6 lint 58azy     
n.线头;绷带用麻布,皮棉
参考例句:
  • Flicked the lint off the coat.把大衣上的棉绒弹掉。
  • There are a few problems of air pollution by chemicals,lint,etc.,but these are minor.化学品、棉花等也造成一些空气污染问题,但这是次要的。
7 dryer PrYxf     
n.干衣机,干燥剂
参考例句:
  • He bought a dryer yesterday.他昨天买了一台干燥机。
  • There is a washer and a dryer in the basement.地下室里有洗衣机和烘干机。
8 dryers 5c56a853f6c2d82daa52b15f68e1b2ac     
n.干燥机( dryer的名词复数 );干燥器;干燥剂;干燥工
参考例句:
  • Men also have hair dryers and, if they suffer from baldness, they use a growth stimulator, buy hairpieces, or have hair transplanted from the hirsute part of the scalp to the bare areas. 男士也有他们的吹风机,而且如果他们秃顶的话,还会用毛发生长剂、买假发,或者把头发从密集的地方移植到谢顶的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dryers can be automated. 干燥机可以自动化作业。 来自辞典例句
9 synthetic zHtzY     
adj.合成的,人工的;综合的;n.人工制品
参考例句:
  • We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
  • It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。
10 isolated bqmzTd     
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句:
  • His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
  • Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

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