Episode Details

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. 

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