英國約克大學發起了一項河流研究，對全球72個國家711個地點的河流水質進行檢測，發現65%的河流抗生素濃度超過安全标準，最差的超标300多倍。泰晤士河被視作歐洲最幹淨的河流之一，其多條支流被檢測出含有至少5種抗生素。

抗生素污染是導緻細菌産生耐藥性的途徑之一。一些産生耐藥基因的細菌如果沒有被抗生素殺滅，會繼續傳播耐藥基因，久而久之，攜帶耐藥基因的細菌會越來越多，造成抗生素失效，後果不堪設想。

研究人員稱，非洲和亞洲的河流抗生素污染堪憂，歐洲、南美洲和北美洲的狀況也不容樂觀，抗生素污染已經成為一個全球性問題。

Photo by Tyson Dudley on Unsplash

Rivers around the world are contaminated with dangerous levels of antibiotics, according to a major new study.

一項新研究顯示，世界各地的河流都被抗生素污染了，污染程度已經達到危險水平。

Concentrations of antibiotics in some waterways exceed safe levels by 300 times, a global team of scientists led by the University of York found.

英國約克大學帶領的國際科學家團隊發現，一些河流的抗生素濃度超出安全值300倍。

The Thames was contaminated with five antibiotics, including levels of ciprofloxacin – used to treat skin and urinary tract infections – that were three times what is considered safe.

泰晤士河被五種抗生素污染，其中用于治療皮膚和尿路感染的環丙沙星水平超出安全值的兩倍。

Researchers looked at 14 commonly used antibiotics in rivers flowing through 72 countries and found antibiotics were in two-thirds of samples.

研究人員在流經72個國家的河流中查找14種常用抗生素，并在三分之二的樣本中發現了抗生素。

Scientists fear antibiotics in rivers cause bacteria to develop resistance meaning they can no longer be used in medicines for humans. The UN estimates that the rise in antibiotic resistance could kill 10 million people by 2050.

科學家擔心河流中的抗生素會導緻細菌産生抗體，這意味着這些抗生素不能再用作人類藥物。聯合國預計，對抗生素耐藥性的上升會在2050年前導緻1000萬人喪生。

"A lot of the resistance genes we see in human pathogens originated from environmental bacteria,” Professor William Gaze, a microbial ecologist at the University of Exeter who was not involved in the study, told The Guardian.

英國埃克塞特大學的微生物生态學家威廉·蓋澤教授告訴《衛報》說：“我們在人類病原體中看到的很多抗性基因都來自周圍環境中的細菌。”蓋澤教授沒有參與這項研究。

pathogen['pæθədʒən]: n. 病原體；病菌

Drugs get into rivers via human and animal waste, as well as leaks from wastewater treatment and drug manufacturing sources.

抗生素藥物通過人體和動物排洩物進入河流，污水處理廠和制藥廠洩露的抗生素也會進入河流。

In one site in Bangladesh, levels of metronidazole – which is used to treat mouth and skin infections – were 300 times greater than what is considered safe. The most common antibiotic was a urinary tract infection antibiotic called trimethoprim, which was present in 307 of 711 sites tested.

在孟加拉國某地的河流中，甲硝唑水平超出安全值300倍。甲硝唑是用來治療口腔和皮膚感染的。最常見的抗生素是治療尿路感染的甲氧苄啶，在全球711處河流取樣點中，有307處河水中都檢測到了甲氧苄啶。

Scientists flew out 92 testing kits to partners across the world who took samples from local rivers. Researchers found Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Pakistan and Nigeria were home to the most contaminated rivers. The team said that the safe limits were most frequently exceeded in Asia and Africa.

科學家向世界各地的合作機構分發了92套測試工具，用來從當地河流中提取樣本。研究人員發現，孟加拉國、肯尼亞、加納、巴基斯坦和尼日利亞的河流是受抗生素污染最嚴重的。研究團隊稱，亞洲和非洲的河流超出安全範圍的頻率最高。

However, sites in Europe, North America and South America also had high levels of contamination showing that antibiotic contamination was a “global problem".

不過，歐洲、北美洲和南美洲的河流也查出高水平的抗生素污染，這說明抗生素污染是一個“全球性問題”。

Professor Alistair Boxall, from the York Environmental Sustainability Institute, said: “The results are quite eye opening and worrying, demonstrating the widespread contamination of river systems around the world with antibiotic compounds.

約克環境可持續發展研究所的阿利斯泰爾·博克斯奧爾教授說：“研究結果讓人瞠目結舌，也讓人感到擔憂。研究顯示，世界各地的河川系統受到抗生素化合物的大面積污染。”

"Many scientists and policy makers now recognize the role of the natural environment in the antimicrobial resistance problem. Our data show that antibiotic contamination of rivers could be an important contributor.

“現在許多科學家和決策者意識到了自然環境對耐藥性問題的作用。我們的數據顯示，河流受到的抗生素污染是産生耐藥性的一個重要原因。”

"Solving the problem is going to be a mammoth challenge and will need investment in infrastructure for waste and wastewater treatment, tighter regulation and the cleaning up of already contaminated sites.”

“解決這個問題将是一個巨大的挑戰，需要對垃圾和廢水處理設施進行投資，對已經被污染的區域要加強管制和清理。”

mammoth['mæməθ]: adj. 巨大的，龐大的

Professor John Wilkinson, from the University of York, said: “Until now, the majority of environmental monitoring work for antibiotics has been done in Europe, North America and China. Often on only a handful of antibiotics. We know very little about the scale of problem globally.

約克大學的約翰·威爾金森教授說：“到目前為止，大部分對抗生素的環境監測工作都是在歐洲、北美和中國完成的。通常監測的隻有幾種抗生素。我們對于抗生素在全球的污染程度知之甚少。”

"Our study helps fill this key knowledge gap with data being generated for countries that had never been monitored before.”

“我們的研究用數據填補了這一關鍵知識缺口，這些數據來源于那些過去從未對抗生素進行過環境監測的國家。”

The findings were unveiled at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in Helsinki on May 27 and 28.

該研究結果于5月27日和28日在赫爾辛基舉行的環境毒理學與化學學會年度會議上公布。

英文來源：獨立報

翻譯&編輯：丹妮

來源：中國日報網

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