Taiwan's Big Problem|塑化剂：致癌的环境荷尔蒙

by Marcus Maurice

The finding of plasticizer in Taiwanese products has caused a lot of trouble.

Taiwan is facing its biggest food contamination crisis yet. For around 30 years, manufacturers have been using a plasticizer called DEHP (邻苯二甲酸) in place of more expensive ingredients like palm oil. _(1)_ It has contaminated at least 500 food and beverage products in the Taiwanese market. Taiwan's FDA had not detected DEHP before because it had not been listed as a toxin to test for until the scandal came to light in late May of 2011.

Children who consume beverages contaminated with DEHP are at the most risk. Young males are more likely to suffer from feminization and the shrinking of reproductive organs when they become adults. _(2)_ DEHP can also disrupt the endocrine (内分泌) system and cause cancer.

In a healthy person whose endocrine system is working normally, hormones are constantly moving through the body and affecting how all kinds of tissues grow, how active the immune system is, and how the reproductive system functions. _(3)_ If a person is exposed to chemicals that change the way the endocrine system works, his or her body might start producing more or less of certain hormones. Once these harmful substances get into the environment, they can have drastic effects on the health of animals. _(4)_

Scientists are doing more research to find out exactly how the human body is affected by different chemicals. _(5)_ In the meantime, people around the world have begun to control the use of products containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

(A) If humans eat contaminated animals, they can also be affected.

(B) This carcinogenic (致癌的) toxin was used as a filler to make items more opaque or richer in color.

(C) However, new chemicals are constantly being invented for different purposes, and it can be difficult to keep up.

(D) Hormones can even change a person's mood.

(E) On the other hand, girls are facing the prospect of the premature development of their sexual organs.

塑化剂：致癌的环境荷尔蒙

MIT产品被验出塑化剂引起喧然大波。

　　台湾正面临最大的食品污染危机。30年前左右，制造商已经开始使用名叫『邻苯二甲酸』的塑化剂来取代像是棕榈油等价格较昂贵的原料。这种致癌的有毒物质被当作填充剂，为的是增加食品的白雾感或让颜色更深。台湾市面上至少有 500 项食品和饮料遭到污染。台湾的食品药物管理局直到 2011 年 5 月下旬这件丑闻曝光后，才开始查验邻苯二甲酸，因为在那之前，邻苯二甲酸尚未列在查验的毒物清单上。

　　饮用含有邻苯二甲酸饮料的孩童处境最危险。年轻的男童在发育阶段，很有可能发生雌性化以及生殖器缩小的情形。另一方面，女孩则可能面临性器官早熟的情况。邻苯二甲酸也会扰乱内分泌系统并致癌。

　　在内分泌系统正常运作的健康人体内，荷尔蒙会持续在体内流动，影响各种组织的生长、免疫系统的活动力及生殖系统的运作。荷尔蒙甚至可以改变人的心情。要是有人接触到会改变内分泌系统运作的化学物质，身体就会开始分泌较多或较少的某些荷尔蒙。而这些有害物质一旦进入生态环境，会对动物的健康造成极大的影响。倘若人类吃下这些受污染的动物，也同样会受到影响。

　　科学家目前正从事更多研究，以了解不同的化学物质究竟会对人体造成什么影响。然而，新的化学物质基于各种不同用途不断被创造出来，使得追踪更新的工作益发困难。在此同时，世界各地的人们也开始控制含有环境荷尔蒙的产品用量。

答案：  1. (B)2. (E)3. (D)4. (A)5. (C)

clouding agent但是有不肖业者竟以工业用的有毒物质『邻苯二甲酸』充当起云剂，藉以降低成本。（数据源：维基百科）