How much synthetic ‘fluff’ is lost from washed clothing? 洗衣服產生的人造微纖維可導致環境污染

我們在洗衣服時，從衣物上脫落並排入外界環境中的人造微纖維總量是一個驚人的數字。美國科學傢估計，自20世紀50年代我們開始大量穿戴滌綸和尼龍服飾以來，排入自然環境中的人造微纖維總量達560萬噸。

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.

在過去大約65年的時間裡，我們的衣物擁有量激增，而我們想保持這些衣物清潔的願望也變得十分強烈。但當我們的襯衫和褲子在洗滌過程中不停地翻滾時，衣物上的細線會大量脫落，隨廢水排走。

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.

來自加利福尼亞大學聖塔芭芭拉分校的研究小組估計，經洗滌從衣物上脫落的細線總量達560萬噸，其中略多於一半被排入水體。這相當於把70億件羊毛外套放到全世界的河流和海洋裡。

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.

但研究小組稱，這種絨毛狀人造微纖維正對陸地造成日益嚴重的影響。污水處理廠現在可以收集排入污泥中的大部分微纖維，這些微纖維隨後會擴散到農田裡或掩埋在垃圾填埋場。

詞匯

ballooned 激增
garments 衣物，衣服
tumble 翻滾
minuscule 細小的，微小的
threads 線
drain away 排走，流出
shed 使脫落，使掉落
water bodies 水體
fleece 羊毛
synthetic 人造的，合成的
fluff 絨毛
sludge 爛泥，淤泥
croplands 農田，耕地

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。

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.