塑料污染已到達地球上最高的地方

Plastic pollution has long been a problem， but now it’s gotten to a new height—literally.

Microplastics， referring to plastic fragments and particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter， have been found on Mount Qomolangma as high as 8，440 meters above sea level， just 408.86 meters below the peak of the mountain， according to a study report published in the journal One Earth.

“These are the highest microplastics ever discovered so far，” lead author Imogen Napper from the University of Plymouth， UK， said in a statement.

Scientists collected snow and water samples from 19 different locations from 4，200 meters above sea level all the way up to the summit of Mount Qomolangma. They found microplastics in all the water samples and part of the snow samples. The most polluted sample was from the Base Camp in Nepal， where most human activity on the mountain is concentrated. It had 79 particles of microplastics per liter of snow.

But how have these fragments made it all this way and in such a great abundance？ The answer is apparent—human activities. It is climbers who bring plastic products to the mountain. Even if they don’t litter， just walking for 20 minutes or opening a bottle of water can release microplastics into the environment.

塑料污染一直是個問題，但現在它確實已經上升到了新的高度。

發表在One Earth期刊上的一項研究報告表明，在珠穆朗瑪峰海拔8440米處發現了微塑料，這是一種直徑不足5毫米的塑料碎片與微粒，距離珠峰峰頂僅408.86米。

“這是迄今為止發現的地處位置最高的微塑料。”該研究報告的第一作者、英國普利茅斯大學的伊莫金·納珀在一份聲明中稱。

科學家從珠峰海拔4200米處出發，沿著登頂路線從19個不同地點采集了積雪和溪水樣本。他們發現在所有溪水樣本和部分積雪樣本中都存在微塑料。污染最嚴重的樣本來自尼泊爾境內的珠峰大本營，那里是珠峰上人類活動最集中的地方。每升積雪中含有79個塑料微粒。

但這些大量的微粒是如何到達珠峰的呢？答案顯而易見——人類活動。正是登山者將塑料制品帶到了山上。即便他們沒有扔垃圾，僅僅步行20分鐘或打開一瓶水也能向環境中釋放微塑料。

The harsh fact is that plastic pollution has also reached even the most remote places on Earth. Researchers even found a plastic bag at the deepest point in the world’s oceans—in the Mariana Trench， located in the Pacific Ocean. The bag is the same as the ones commonly used in grocery stores.

Even covered in ice， the Arctic is still a victim of plastic pollution. A 2020 report published in Nature suggests that there are 2，000 to 17，000 plastic particles per cubic meter in Arctic ice cores， and between 0 to 18 microplastic particles per cubic meter from the water beneath ice floes. Experts think microplastics may be transported by air and then reach the North Pole in snowfall.

“What we don’t yet fully know is the potential problems these tiny pieces of plastic could be having to ecosystems， to organisms and even to our own health as well，” said Christian Dunn of Bangor University， UK.

Then what can we do？ “We need to start focusing on deeper technological solutions that focus on microplastics， like changing fabric design and using natural fibers instead of plastic when possible，” Napper said.

殘酷的事實是，塑料污染也已經到達了地球上最遙遠的地方。研究者甚至在全球海洋最深處——位于太平洋的馬里亞納海溝發現了一個塑料袋。這個袋子和雜貨店常用的袋子一模一樣。

即便被冰雪覆蓋，北極也難逃塑料污染之害。《自然》期刊2020年發表的一份報告顯示，每立方米北極冰芯中有2 000到17 000個塑料顆粒，浮冰下每立方米水中有0到18個微塑料顆粒。專家認為微塑料或許是通過空氣運輸，再經過降雪落到北極。

“這些微小的塑料碎片可能會對生態系統、微生物乃至我們自身的健康造成什么樣的潛在問題，我們還無法完全知曉。”英國班戈大學的克里斯蒂安·鄧恩表示。

那我們能做些什么呢？“我們需要開始關注微塑料相關的更深入的技術解決方案，如改變面料設計，使用天然纖維代替塑料。”納珀說。

Word Study

harsh /hɑ??/ adj. 殘酷的;嚴酷的

The punishment was harsh and unfair.

organism /'??ɡ?n?z?m/ n. 生物，（尤指）微生物

Not all chemicals normally present in living organisms are harmless.

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