【時事英文】
Fish are eating microplastic like junk food, and it's killing them
美國禁賣柔珠產品 以免造成生態浩劫
About 8 million tonnes of plastic are leaked into the ocean annually, and its impact on the fragile underwater ecosystem has scientists worried.
每年有大約八百萬噸的塑膠製品流入海中，這對脆弱的水中生態造成的衝擊，讓科學家擔心不已。
A new study has found that young fish are eating microplastic like junk food — and it’s killing them.
一項新研究顯示，幼魚正將微塑膠（microplastic）當垃圾食物食用，這會害死牠們。
Microplastic particles result from the fragmentation of large plastic waste, or from tiny manufactured plastic, like microbeads in cosmetic products.
微塑膠粒子來自大型塑膠廢物的碎片，或是量產的微小塑料，像是護膚產品中的塑膠微粒。
Measuring less than 5 millimeters, the particles flow through waterways and into the ocean, accumulating in shallow coastal areas.
這些小於5釐米的粒子，會從各個水道流入海中，在較淺的沿海地區堆積。
Larval perch that normally feed on plankton have been found to be actively choosing the microplastic as food.
專家發現，通常專吃浮游生物的鱸魚魚苗，會主動選擇這些塑膠微粒作為食物。
This has resulted in their stunted growth and sudden disregard for the smell of predators. The ability to respond to the smell of predators and flee is typically innate in young fish.
這造成牠們發育遲緩，還會突然忽視掠食動物的氣味。對掠食動物的氣味應變和逃離，通常是幼魚與生俱來的能力。
When placed in tanks with their natural predator, perch that ate plastic were preyed upon four times faster than those that did not. All were dead within 48 hours.
和天敵處於同一個水缸中時，吃塑膠的鱸魚被捕食的速度，是不吃塑膠者的四倍。牠們都在48小時內死亡。
Scientists warn that the harmful effects of plastic is not limited to fish, and may be felt throughout the food chain.
科學家警告，塑膠有害的影響並不限於魚類，整個食物鏈都有可能受害。
The study is an important step in understanding the silent threat that plastic wastes poses on marine creatures.
要揭開塑膠廢料對海洋生物造成的無聲威脅，這項研究是極為重要的關鍵。
A U.S. ban on microbeads in body care products will take effect from July 2017, with pressure building for other countries to follow suit.
美國對護膚產品使用塑膠微粒的禁令，將於2017年7月生效，並漸漸向其他國家施壓，期盼他們跟進。
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