VOA科学技术2023 研究发现空气质量检测设备可以采集环境中DNA（在线收听）

Study Finds Air Quality Devices Collect DNA from Environment

研究发现空气质量检测设备可以采集环境中DNA

A new study has found that devices used to measure air quality in the environment also take in DNA material from the local area.

一项新的研究发现，用于测量自然环境中空气质量的设备也会采集当地的DNA物质。

Scientists say this collected DNA can be useful in identifying what plants and animals have been in the area. It could also help document changes in the environment over time.

科学家表示，这些采集的DNA有助于确定当地的动植物。它还可以帮助记录环境随时间的变化。

Researchers say the finding suggests air quality measuring devices have collected large amounts of biodiversity data. But the collection efforts have not been recognized until now, said Elizabeth Clare. She is a biologist at Canada's York University and a lead writer of the study.

研究人员表示，该结果表明，空气质量测量设备已经采集到大量的生物多样性数据。伊丽莎白·克莱尔说，但直到现在，这些采集工作才得到认可。她是加拿大约克大学的生物学家，也是这项研究的主要作者。

As animals and plants go through their life cycles, they leave small pieces of themselves in the environment. This includes materials such as fur, feathers or pollen that identify their genetic makeup.

当动植物经历它们的生命周期时，它们会在环境中留下自己的身体碎屑。这包括毛皮、羽毛或是花粉等能够识别其基因构成的物质。

Scientists have long known this kind of environmental DNA can float in water. They have even used it to follow, or track, different species in lakes and rivers. But it has been much harder to get a genetic picture of animals living on land, said Kristine Bohmann. She studies environmental DNA at the University of Copenhagen. She was not involved in the latest study.

科学家们早就知道这种环境DNA可以漂浮在水中。他们甚至用它来追踪湖泊和河流中的不同物种。但克莉斯汀·波曼说，要获得陆地上动物的基因图谱要困难得多。她在哥本哈根大学研究环境DNA。她没有参与这项最新研究。

In 2021, both Bohmann and Clare worked on similar projects to see whether they could pull animal DNA from the air. After setting up collection equipment in local zoos, the teams were able to capture and examine DNA from many different species.

波曼和克莱尔2021年都在进行类似的项目，看看她们是否能从空气中提取动物DNA。在当地动物园安装了采集设备后，研究团队能够捕获和检测出许多不同物种的DNA。

After seeing success in that process, the researchers wanted to expand their efforts to larger areas.

在看到这一过程取得成功后，研究人员希望将他们的工作扩展到更大领域。

In the latest study, Clare and her team tested air filters from two measuring stations, one in London and one in Scotland. The two places are part of a large network that tests for pollution.

在最新的研究中，克莱尔和她的团队检测了两个测量站的空气过滤器，其中一个在伦敦，另一个在苏格兰。这两个测量站是一个大型污染检测网络的一部分。

After getting DNA from pieces inside the air filters, the team was able to identify more than 180 different kinds of plants and animals, study writer Joanne Littlefair said. She is a biologist at Queen Mary University of London.

研究作者乔安妮·利特尔费尔说，从空气过滤器里的碎片中提取DNA后，该团队能够识别出180多种不同的动植物。她是伦敦玛丽女王大学的生物学家。

The filter data identified many different life forms, including grasses, fungi, deer, hedgehogs and songbirds, Littlefair said. Now, the team hopes to capture DNA data on ecosystems all over the world. Clare noted that even though biodiversity issues affect the whole world, it is hard to carry out widespread testing.

利特尔费尔表示，过滤器数据识别出许多不同的生命形式，包括草、真菌、鹿、刺猬和鸣禽。利特尔费尔表示，现在，该团队希望捕获世界各地生态系统的DNA数据。克莱尔指出，尽管生物多样性问题影响着整个世界，但很难进行大范围检测。

James Allerton is an air quality scientist at Britain's National Physical Laboratory. He told The Associated Press that it is much easier to use capturing systems that are already in place.

詹姆斯·阿勒顿是英国国家物理实验室的空气质量科学家。他告诉美联社，使用现有的捕捉系统要容易得多。

Allerton noted that many countries have networks to measure air quality. Some also store their old filters for many years. He said such data could help demonstrate how ecosystems have changed over time.

阿勒顿指出，许多国家都有测量空气质量的网络。有些还将旧过滤器保存多年。他说，这些数据可以帮助证明生态系统是如何随着时间的推移而变化的。

Fabian Roger is working on a similar project at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. He wrote in an email to the AP that more research will be needed to see if data from the filters can show real biodiversity changes over time. Roger added that he finds it exciting that an existing system could help track wildlife across large areas in the environment.

费比安·罗杰正在瑞士苏黎世联邦理工学院从事一个类似的项目。他在给美联社的一封电子邮件中写道，还需要更多的研究，看看过滤器的数据是否能显示出生物多样性随时间的变化。罗杰补充说，他觉得现有的系统可以帮助追踪环境中大面积地区的野生动物，这很令人兴奋。