VOA科学技术2024 联合国报告称电子垃圾堆积如山（在线收听）

UN Report: Electronic Waste Is Piling up

联合国报告称电子垃圾堆积如山

　　A United Nations report warns that no longer used electronics, called "e-waste," is increasing worldwide. It adds that recycling rates of e-waste remain low.

　　联合国的一份报告警告称，被称为“电子垃圾”的废弃电子产品正在全球范围内增加。它补充说，电子垃圾的回收率仍然很低。

　　The waste comes from devices such as mobile phones, electronic toys, TVs, microwave ovens, e-cigarettes, laptop computers, and solar panels.

　　这些废弃物来自手机、电子玩具、电视、微波炉、电子烟、笔记本电脑和太阳能电池板等设备。

　　The report does not include waste from electronic vehicles, which are counted separately.

　　该报告不包括电动汽车产生的废弃物，这些是单独计算的。

　　The U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the research group UNITAR wrote the report. It said about 62 million metric tons of "e-waste" were created in 2022. The report estimates the amount will increase 32 percent by 2030. The report said metals, including copper, gold, and iron, worth a total of about $91 billion are wasted.

　　联合国国际电信联盟（ITU）和联合国训练研究所（UNITAR）撰写了这份报告。它表示，2022年产生了约6200万公吨的“电子垃圾”。该报告估计，到2030年，这一数字将增长32%。报告称，包括铜、金和铁在内的总价值约910亿美元的金属被浪费了。

　　The U.N. said 22 percent of e-waste was collected and recycled in 2022. The U.N. agencies expect that amount to fall to 20 percent by 2030 for several reasons. These include the increasing number of devices, lack of repairs, shorter device lifespan, and not enough waste management systems.

　　联合国表示，2022年有22%的电子垃圾被收集和回收。联合国机构预计，到2030年，这一比例将降至20%，原因有几个。其中包括设备数量不断增加、缺乏维修、设备寿命缩短以及没有足够的废弃物管理系统。

　　Some of the e-waste contains dangerous substances, such as the element mercury, the report said. It also contains some rare-earth metals needed to make electronic devices. Currently, recycling supplies only one percent of the demand for the 17 rare metals.

　　报告称，一些电子垃圾含有危险物质，如汞元素。它还包含一些制造电子设备所需的稀土金属。目前，回收仅能满足17种稀有金属需求的1%。

　　The report said about half of all e-waste comes from Asia where few countries have laws on e-waste or collection targets. Recycling and collection rates are more than 40 percent in Europe. However, Europe also produces the highest amount of e-waste per person: nearly 18 kilograms.

　　报告称，大约一半的电子垃圾来自亚洲，那里很少有国家对电子垃圾或收集目标立法。欧洲的回收率超过40%。然而，欧洲人均产生的电子垃圾量也是最高的，达到了将近18公斤。

　　Africa has the least e-waste of any of the five big regions worldwide. However, its recycling and collection rates are about 1 percent, the report said.

　　在全球五大区域中，非洲的电子垃圾最少。然而，报告称，其回收率约为1%。

　　"The latest research shows that the global challenge posed by e-waste is only going to grow," said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava. He is head of the ITU telecommunication development group.

　　科斯马斯·勒克森·扎瓦扎瓦说：“最新研究表明，电子垃圾带来的全球挑战只会越来越大。”他是际电信联盟电信发展局局长。

　　Collecting e-waste to survive

　　以收电子垃圾为生

　　For some people, e-waste is a way to earn money by looking through trash to find valuable metals and parts. However, the work comes with health risks.

　　对一些人来说，电子垃圾是一种通过在垃圾中寻找有价值的金属和零件来赚钱的方式。然而，这项工作也有健康风险。

　　Dandora dumpsite is a place where waste from the city of Nairobi, Kenya is put. There, Steve Okoth tries to find material he can sell to businesses. But he knows the work can harm his health.

　　丹多拉垃圾场是肯尼亚内罗毕市的垃圾堆放场。斯蒂夫·奥科斯试图在那里找到可以卖给企业的材料。但他知道这份工作会损害他的健康。

　　"When the e-waste comes here, it contains some powder which affects my health," he said. He added that when the e-waste heats up, it releases harmful gases and he "can't come to work because of chest problems."

　　他说：“当电子垃圾扔到这里时，它里面含有一些粉末，这会影响我的健康。”他补充说，当电子垃圾温度升高时，它会释放有害气体，他“因为胸部症状无法工作”。

　　Still, Okoth said he and others like him don't have any other choice: "We are now used to the smoke because if you don't go to work, you will not eat."

　　奥科斯说，尽管如此，他和其他像他一样的人别无选择：“我们现在已经习惯了这种烟尘，因为如果你不去工作，就没饭吃。”

　　Recycling centers and the environment

　　回收中心与环境

　　Kenya is taking steps to recycle e-waste. Nairobi's WEEE recycling center has collection points across the country. People can safely give away old electronic equipment at these places.

　　肯尼亚正在采取措施回收电子垃圾。内罗毕的废弃电子电气设备回收中心在全国各地都有收集点。人们可以在这些地方安全地送出旧的电子设备。

　　Catherine Wasolia is WEEE's chief operating officer. She said workers examine the devices for data and clean them. Then they test the devices to see if they can be reused in some way.

　　凯瑟琳·瓦索利亚是废弃电子电气设备回收中心的首席运营官。她说，工作人员会检查这些设备的数据并进行清理。然后他们会测试这些设备，看看它们是否可以以某种方式重复使用。

　　George Masila said that when it rains, water gets into the e-waste. He said this can harm water quality and could bring unwanted substances into the soil.

　　乔治·马希拉说，下雨时，水会进入电子垃圾。他说，这会损害水质，并可能将多余物质带入土壤。

　　He said greater recycling and re-use of electronics, "are some of the things we should be considering."

　　他说，更多地回收和再利用电子产品，“是我们应该考虑的一些事情。”

　　Writers of the UN report noted that many people in developing countries make money by recovering materials from e-waste. The report called for them to be trained and given safety equipment for their work.

　　联合国报告的作者指出，发展中国家的许多人通过从电子垃圾中回收材料来赚钱。报告呼吁对他们进行培训，并为他们的工作提供防护设备。