研究:氣候變暖將提高人類患癌症風險

Melting glaciers and ice sheets are releasing cancer-causing pollutants into the air and oceans, scientists say.
　　The long-lasting chemicals get into the food chain and build up in people's bodies - triggering tumours, heart disease and infertility.

The warning comes in new international study into the links between climate change and a class of man-made toxins called persistent organic pollutants.

The study – due to be published next month – says rising temperatures and more extreme weather are increasing human exposure to pollutants around the world, including in Britain.

有科學家稱，融化的冰山與冰蓋正將某些致癌物質釋放到了空氣與海洋當中，這些相當穩定的化學元素將進入生物食物鏈中，最終進入人體，並引發腫瘤、心臟病和不孕症。這樣的警告來自於一份全新的國際科學報告，它詳細研究了氣候變化與名爲“持久性有機污染”的一系列人爲有毒物質之間的關係。這份即將於下月發表的報告指出，氣溫的升高和惡劣天氣的頻發，這都提高了人類暴露於污染物質之下的程度。

'It is a problem in all parts of the world – pollutants do not respect borders. They travel thousands of miles and they continue to build'Scientists are concerned about Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs, because they last decades in the environment and accumulate in body tissue.

They include pesticides such as DDT and chemicals called PCBs used in electrical goods.

“這是個全球性的問題，污染不分國界，他們會長距離循環並繼續發展。”科學家們對於持久性有機污染（簡稱POPS，註解：它是一類化學物質，這類化學物質可以在環境里長期的存留，可以在全球廣泛的分佈，它可以通過食物鏈蓄積，逐級的傳遞，進入到有機體的脂肪組織裏聚積。最終會對生物體、人體產生不利的影響。）表示擔憂，因爲他們將在環境中的存在長達數十年，並要導致人體的健康問題。這其中包括瞭如DDT農藥和電子產品中使用的一種稱爲“多氯聯苯”的化學物質。

Donald Cooper, of the United Nations Environment Programme which published the report at the UN climate talks in Cancun, Mexico, said melting glaciers and ice sheets were releasing POPs trapped years ago into the air and seas.

Extreme weather events – such as this year’s devastating Pakistan floods - were releasing banned pollutants which been stockpiled ready to be higher temperatures were likely to increase the spread of malaria – and increase the use of sprays such as DDT which are harmful to people.

在墨西哥坎昆舉行的聯合國氣候大會上，有關官員稱，幾年前，由冰山與冰蓋正融化所質釋已經存在於空氣與海洋當中，而諸如今年的巴基斯坦洪災這樣的惡劣天氣又將準備被銷燬的污染源暴露了出來。氣溫的升高會加速瘧疾的傳播，而DDT的過度使用會對人類產生有害的影響。

Mr Cooper said: 'Very small quantities of persistent organic pollutants get into the food chain but they accumulate in higher and higher levels as they go up the food chain. And the end of the food chain is us. We find them in mother’s breast milk and in blood.'

He added: ‘It is a problem in all parts of the world – they do not respect borders. They travel thousands of miles and they continue to build.

'In the past pollutants have travelled long distances and become trapped in ice in glaciers and ice sheets. But as the ice melts, or when temperatures go up, they are released back into the seas and atmosphere.

'It doesn’t matter whether you live in Kenya or Britain, the food goes everywhere around the world.'同時，這位氣象官員指出，“少部分的持久性有機污染物進入食物鏈後回隨着級別的上升而增強毒性，位於末端的人類將深受其害。這是一個不分國界的問題，不論你身處何處，食物都是在全球範圍內流通的。”

The authors are also concerned at PAHs, airborne pollutants produced by burning fuels.

Achim Steiner, the executive director of UNEP said freak weather events were releasing stockpiles of dangerous pesticides and other pollutants.

'The increasing frequency and severity of tropical cyclones and flood events are increasingly putting at risk stockpiles containing thousands of metric tonnes of obsolete POPs pesticides,' he said.

Higher temperatures can also make seals, whales and polar bars more vulnerable to pollutants, the report says.

由於燃料燃燒所造成的空氣污染中的多環芳烴（PAHs）也使得報告的作者們倍感擔憂。

科學家指出：“日益平凡的熱帶氣旋（或颶風）以及洪澇災害所造成的破壞，使得攜帶有持久性有機污染物的成百上千萬噸化學農藥成爲了危險物品。同時，高氣溫還是得海豹、鯨魚與北極熊更容易受到污染的”迫害“。

Vocabulary:

POPS 持久性有機污染物Persistent Organic Pollutant

它是一類化學物質，這類化學物質可以在環境里長期的存留，可以在全球廣泛的分佈，它可以通過食物鏈蓄積，逐級的傳遞，進入到有機體的脂肪組織裏聚積。最終會對生物體、人體產生不利的影響。