2020-09-28 How much synthetic ‘fluff’ is lost from washed clothing 洗衣服产生的人造微纤维可导致环境污染

我们在洗衣服时，从衣物上脱落并排入外界环境中的人造微纤维总量是一个惊人的数字。美国科学家估计，自20世纪50年代我们开始大量穿戴涤纶和尼龙服饰以来，排入自然环境中的人造微纤维总量达560万吨。

Over the course of the past 65 years or so, our collection of clothing has ballooned, and so is our desire to keep these garments clean. But as our shirts and trousers tumble through a wash cycle, they’re losing lots of minuscule threads that drain away with the waste water.

在过去大约65年的时间里，我们的衣物拥有量激增，而我们想保持这些衣物清洁的愿望也变得十分强烈。但当我们的衬衫和裤子在洗涤过程中不停地翻滚时，衣物上的细线会大量脱落，随废水排走。

The research team from the University of California, Santa Barbara, estimates a total of 5.6 million tonnes has been shed in this way, just over half of which has gone into water bodies. That’s like putting seven billion fleece jackets in the world’s rivers and oceans.

来自加利福尼亚大学圣塔芭芭拉分校的研究小组估计，经洗涤从衣物上脱落的细线总量达560万吨，其中略多于一半被排入水体。这相当于把70亿件羊毛外套放到全世界的河流和海洋里。

But increasingly, says the team, this synthetic fluff is affecting the land. Waste water treatment works now catch most of the fibre lost in the sludge, that’s then spread on croplands or buried in landfill.

但研究小组称，这种绒毛状人造微纤维正对陆地造成日益严重的影响。污水处理厂现在可以收集排入污泥中的大部分微纤维，这些微纤维随后会扩散到农田里或掩埋在垃圾填埋场。

词汇

ballooned 激增
garments 衣物，衣服
tumble 翻滚
minuscule 细小的，微小的
threads 线
drain away 排走，流出
shed 使脱落，使掉落
water bodies 水体
fleece 羊毛
synthetic 人造的，合成的
fluff 绒毛
sludge 烂泥，淤泥
croplands 农田，耕地

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. True or false? Our desire to keep our clothes clean over the past 65 years or so has decreased.

2. What are shed as we wash our shirts and trousers?

3. Based on the research, of all the microfibres lost in the wash, how much has gone into water bodies?

4. How is this synthetic fluff affecting the land?

答案

1. True or false? Our desire to keep our clothes clean over the past 65 years or so has decreased.
False. According to the article, our desire to keep our clothes clean has increased, and so has our clothing collection.

2. What are shed as we wash our shirts and trousers?
As we wash our shirts and trousers, minuscule threads are shed from the garments.

3. Based on the research, of all the microfibres lost in the wash, how much has gone into water bodies?
Around 5.6 million tonnes of microfibres are lost in the wash, just over half of which has gone into water bodies.

4. How is this synthetic fluff affecting the land?
Waste water treatment works now catch most of the fibre lost in the sludge, that’s then spread on croplands or buried in landfill.