信息來(lái)源：NJ Advance Media

在南澤西州的特拉華河(Delaware River)沿岸，重工業(yè)長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)都是造成水污染、空氣污染和土地污染的原因之一?？茖W(xué)家們對(duì)一種新的污染物質(zhì)發(fā)出了警報(bào)。

Along the Delaware River in South Jersey, where heavy industry has long contributed to polluted water, air and ground, scientists have raised the alarm over a new contamination.

根據(jù)美國(guó)環(huán)境保護(hù)局和新澤西州環(huán)境保護(hù)局的科學(xué)家的最新研究，在格洛斯特和塞勒姆兩縣的土壤中發(fā)現(xiàn)了一組幾乎沒(méi)有被研究過(guò)的化學(xué)物質(zhì)。

A scarcely studied group of chemicals can now be found in soil across Gloucester and Salem counties, according to new research by scientists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

這些污染物似乎已經(jīng)被排放到空氣中，其中一些已經(jīng)被吹到了北澤西州。這些污染物來(lái)自西德特福德市（Deptford）的索爾維化工廠。就在幾年前，這家工廠被認(rèn)為是造成水污染危機(jī)的罪魁禍?zhǔn)住?/span>

The pollution appears to have been spewed into the air – some of it blown as far as North Jersey -from a West Deptford chemical plant that was blamed for?a water crisis just a few years ago.

這項(xiàng)研究上個(gè)月發(fā)表在《科學(xué)》(Science)雜志上，重點(diǎn)研究了比利時(shí)化學(xué)公司索爾維(Solvay)在南澤西島工廠生產(chǎn)過(guò)程中使用的一種新物質(zhì)的擴(kuò)散情況。

The study,?published last month in the journal Science, focuses on the spread of a new substance used by Solvay, a Belgian chemical company, as part of manufacturing operations at the company’s South Jersey facility.

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這些存在爭(zhēng)議的的化學(xué)品是全氟烷基磺酸鹽（PFAS）的替代品。全氟烷基磺酸鹽（PFAS）已知對(duì)人類(lèi)有毒。近幾年，來(lái)自美國(guó)各地軍事基地的污染和2019年由馬克·魯法洛主演的以全氟烷基磺酸鹽（PFAS）在垃圾焚燒爐中的燃燒為主題的電影《黑水》引起了人們對(duì)PFAS的關(guān)注。

The chemicals in question are replacements for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — chemicals that are known to be toxic to humans and have grabbed attention in recent years, from?pollution on military bases across the U.S.?and the?burning of the chemicals in garbage incinerators?to serving as the subject of the 2019 film “Dark Waters” starring Mark Ruffalo.

PFAS用于不粘炊具、耐污織物、防火泡沫和一系列其他產(chǎn)品，有時(shí)被稱(chēng)為“永久化學(xué)品”，因?yàn)樗鼈冊(cè)诃h(huán)境或人體中不易分解。據(jù)美國(guó)疾病控制與預(yù)防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)稱(chēng)，它們與癌癥和其他健康問(wèn)題有關(guān)。

PFAS, used in nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foam and a range of other products, are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they do not easily break down in the environment or the human body. They have been linked to cancer and other health effects,?according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

環(huán)保局發(fā)言人Larry Hajna在一份聲明中稱(chēng)，新的索爾維化學(xué)品與全氟烷基磺酸鹽（PFAS）的研究表明“具有相似的毒性和生物積累特性”。這些化合物對(duì)健康的潛在影響尚不清楚。

Larry Hajna, a DEP spokesperson, said in a statement that the new Solvay chemicals “are expected to have toxicity and bioaccumulation properties similar” to more?well-studied?PFAS. The potential health effects of these compounds is not yet known.

Hajna說(shuō):“環(huán)保局將致力于支持和推進(jìn)進(jìn)一步的研究，以更好地了解該替代化學(xué)品的分布和潛在的環(huán)境和健康影響?！?/span>

“The DEP is committed to supporting and advancing further studies to better understand the distribution and potential environmental and health impacts of replacement chemicals,” Hajna said.

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索爾維公司在一份聲明中告訴新州前衛(wèi)媒體，它已經(jīng)向美國(guó)環(huán)保署和環(huán)保局提供了其新化學(xué)品的毒理學(xué)報(bào)告。Hajna證實(shí)，美國(guó)環(huán)保局有來(lái)自索爾維的此類(lèi)報(bào)告，但補(bǔ)充說(shuō)，國(guó)家不能將其公開(kāi)，因?yàn)樵搱?bào)告包含受保護(hù)的專(zhuān)利信息。

Solvay told NJ Advance Media in a statement that it has provided toxicology reports for its new chemicals to the EPA and the DEP. Hajna confirmed that DEP has such reports from Solvay, but added that the state can’t make them public because the included proprietary information is protected.

污染追蹤

Tracking down the pollution

這些新發(fā)現(xiàn)的物質(zhì)來(lái)自于對(duì)2017年下半年由環(huán)境保護(hù)局從新澤西附近采集的土壤樣本的分析，其中大部分來(lái)自南澤西。

The new findings stem from analysis of soil samples taken by the DEP from around New Jersey — mostly from South Jersey — in late 2017.

正是這個(gè)地區(qū)的兩家主要的化工廠（位于維爾的科慕公司(前杜邦公司)的工廠和位于西德普特福德的索爾維工廠）在過(guò)去造成了PFAS污染。

It’s in that region where two major chemical facilities — the Chemours (formerly DuPont) Chambers Works plant in Pennsville and the Solvay plant in West Deptford — are known to have caused PFAS pollution in the past.

科學(xué)家們檢查了每個(gè)土壤樣本中是否存在氯氟聚醚羧酸鹽(ClPFPECA)（這種新的索爾維化合物的分子片段可以作為一種“指紋”），因?yàn)樗鼈冊(cè)谂f的PFAS污染中沒(méi)有被發(fā)現(xiàn)。

Scientists examined each soil sample for the presence of chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylates (ClPFPECA) — molecular pieces of the new Solvay compounds that serve as sort of fingerprints, because they are not found in older PFAS pollution.

污染的地理分布和新化學(xué)物質(zhì)的結(jié)構(gòu)本身表明它們來(lái)自蘇威工廠，華盛頓說(shuō)。研究還表明，污染物很可能是從索爾維工廠排放到空氣中，而不是通過(guò)廢水排放。

The geographic spread of the contamination and the structure of the new chemicals themselves indicate that they came from the Solvay plant, Washington said. The research also indicates it is likely the contamination was released into the air from the Solvay plant, rather than being dumped through wastewater.

索爾維沒(méi)有向媒體表明污染來(lái)自其工廠。公司的發(fā)言人布萊恩·卡羅爾說(shuō):“我們將繼續(xù)評(píng)估《科學(xué)》雜志上報(bào)道的研究結(jié)果，目前還不能就任何探測(cè)結(jié)果是否來(lái)自我們的操作或其他來(lái)源發(fā)表評(píng)論。”

Solvay did not confirm to NJ Advance Media that the contamination originated from its plant.“We continue to assess the study reported in Science, and at this time, cannot comment on whether any detections reported may have originated from our operations or from other sources,” said Brian Carroll, a Solvay spokesperson.

南澤西島似乎是污染的中心，但研究發(fā)現(xiàn)北澤西島的土壤中也有氯氟聚醚羧酸鹽（CIPFPECAs）。很可能空氣中的污染物在進(jìn)入土壤之前就已經(jīng)被風(fēng)帶到很遠(yuǎn)的地方。

South Jersey appears to be the heart of the pollution, but the research found CIPFPECAs in North Jersey soil as well. It’s likely the airborne pollution has been carried far distances by the wind before settling into the soil.

在我們對(duì)24份來(lái)自全州各地的土壤樣本，包括一份來(lái)自該州北部邊境的樣本進(jìn)行分析，我認(rèn)為它們分布廣泛，”華盛頓在談到新化學(xué)物質(zhì)時(shí)說(shuō)。

“Considering that we had 24 soil samples from around the state, including one from the northern border of the state, I would consider them widespread,” Washington said of the new chemicals.

這些化學(xué)品是如何被使用的？

How the chemicals are used？

蘇威公司在西德普特福德工廠生產(chǎn)特種薄膜，該廠有140名員工，與費(fèi)城國(guó)際機(jī)場(chǎng)隔特拉華河相望。據(jù)Intercept報(bào)道，這些特種薄膜已經(jīng)被用于半導(dǎo)體和鋰電池。

Solvay makes specialty plastics at the West Deptford plant, a facility that?employs 140 people?just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia International Airport. Those plastics have been used for things like semi-conductors and lithium batteries,?according to The Intercept.

從1985年開(kāi)始，蘇威在這個(gè)過(guò)程中使用一種全氟壬酸(PFNA)作為原料。但是，作為美國(guó)環(huán)境保護(hù)署計(jì)劃的一部分，這家化學(xué)公司在2010年前逐步停止使用PFNA。

Starting in 1985, Solvay used a PFAS called perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) as an ingredient in this process. But the chemical company phased out use of PFNA by 2010, as part of an EPA program.

目前還不清楚索爾維何時(shí)開(kāi)始使用這種新的化學(xué)物質(zhì)來(lái)替代全氟壬酸(PFNA)。

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It is unclear when Solvay began using the new chemicals to replace PFNA.

特拉華州河流保護(hù)組織副主任特蕾西·卡魯西奧說(shuō)，EPA的這項(xiàng)新研究是蘇威淘汰PFNA后，首次真正了解其使用的材料。

Tracy Carluccio, the deputy director of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, said the new EPA study is the first real peak behind the curtain about what Solvay has been using since it phased out PFNA.

Carluccio補(bǔ)充說(shuō)，近年來(lái)對(duì)工廠使用新化學(xué)物質(zhì)的擔(dān)憂(yōu)有所增加，因?yàn)橛袌?bào)道強(qiáng)調(diào)在北卡羅來(lái)納州的開(kāi)普菲爾地區(qū)污染了另一種PFAS替代化學(xué)物質(zhì)-Chemours使用的GenX。

Carluccio added that worry about new chemicals being used at the plant has grown in recent years, as reports highlighted contamination of a different PFAS replacement chemical —?GenX, which is used by Chemours?— in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina.

卡魯齊奧說(shuō)：“關(guān)于什么被用來(lái)替代PFNA，這是一個(gè)未知數(shù)，也是一個(gè)非常令人擔(dān)憂(yōu)的未知數(shù)?！?/span>

“It was an unknown, and it was a very worrisome unknown, about what was being used to replace PFNA,” Carluccio said.

蘇威公司在接受NJ Advance Media采訪(fǎng)時(shí)表示，公司愿意與環(huán)境部進(jìn)一步合作研究新化學(xué)品，但表示這種合作可能只會(huì)在一定程度上。

Solvay told NJ Advance Media that it is willing to cooperate with further DEP studies of the new chemicals, but the company indicated that such cooperation may only go to a certain extent.

卡洛爾說(shuō)：“索爾維已經(jīng)向環(huán)保局提出了有關(guān)其當(dāng)前加工助劑的定量，針對(duì)性的環(huán)境研究。”

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“Solvay has proposed to the [DEP] a quantitative and targeted environmental investigation concerning its current process aids,” Carroll said.