VOA慢速英语2019 防晒霜中的化学物质穿过皮肤进入血液

Sunscreen’s Chemicals Go Through Skin to Bloodstream

The active chemicals of commonly-used sunscreens end up in a wearer’s blood. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, reported recently that the chemicals are present at much higher levels than current government health rules permit. For this reason, the researchers call for more safety studies.

常用防晒霜中的活性化学物质最终会进入使用者的血液。美国食品药品监督管理局（简称FDA）近期发表的报告显示，被吸收到人体血液中的防晒霜化学物质，远高于目前政府健康规定所容许的水平。基于此，研究人员呼吁展开更多安全性研究。

From sunburn to skin cancer protection

从防晒到预防皮肤癌

Sunscreens were first sold to prevent sunburn and did not have to meet many government regulations. Now they are widely used to block radiation from the sun that can cause skin cancer, the most common kind of cancer in the United States.

防晒霜最初被用来避免被太阳晒伤，不必符合大多数政府规定。而现在，防晒霜被广泛用于阻止可引发皮肤癌的太阳辐射，皮肤癌是美国最常见的癌症种类。

To test some of the effects of sunscreen, researchers worked with 23 volunteers. They tested four forms of sunscreen by putting it on most of the volunteers’ bodies four times a day over four days. Then, they did blood tests over seven days to find the levels of certain chemicals absorbed into the volunteers’ blood.

在23名志愿者的协助下，研究人员对防晒霜的影响进行了测试。研究人员测试了4款防晒霜，他们让志愿者连续4天每天涂抹4次防晒霜，而且要覆盖身体大部分皮肤。随后，研究人员连续7天对志愿者进行血液测试，以确定志愿者血液中吸收的特定化学物质的含量。

The study looked for the chemicals from sunscreen in plasma¹, the watery² part of blood that contains blood cells. It found four chemicals to be well above the level at which FDA guidelines call for further safety testing. They are avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene and in one sunscreen, ecamsule.

研究测量了血浆中防晒霜化学物质的含量，血浆是血液的液体部分，含有血液细胞。研究发现，4种化学物质的含量远高于美国食药监局的规定，含量高到需要展开进一步安全性测试。超标化学成分包括阿伏苯宗、氧苯酮、氰双苯丙烯酸辛酯以及依茨舒。

The effects of plasma concentrations above the FDA’s limit is not known. The research team wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that there must be more studies on how the chemicals affect humans.

至于血浆浓度超过美国食药监局的限制会产生的影响，目前尚不得而知。研究团队发表在《美国医学协会期刊》上的文章中写道，必须就这些化学成分对人类的影响进行更多研究。

Keep using sunscreen to protect skin from the sun

继续使用防晒霜避免皮肤被太阳晒伤

But these results do not suggest that people should stop using sunscreen to protect against the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, researchers said.

研究人员表示，这些研究结果并未建议，人们应该停止使用防晒霜来阻隔有害的紫外线。

Two researchers added their opinion in an article that followed the report. Robert Califf and Kanade Shinkai said the fact there were high levels of the chemicals in blood does not mean they are unsafe.

两名研究人员在报告中加入了自已的观点。罗伯特·卡利夫和新海奏表示，血液中含有高浓度的化学物质并不意味着不安全。

"The study findings raise many important questions about sunscreen and the process by which the sunscreen industry, clinicians, specialty³ organizations, and regulatory agencies evaluate (its) benefits and risks.”

“研究结果提出了许多重要问题，这些问题既涉及防晒霜，也涉及防晒霜行业、临床医师、专业组织和监管机构评估防晒霜效果及风险的过程。”

David Andrews is a senior scientist at the nonprofit health and environmental advocacy group Environmental Working Group. He called for thorough testing of sunscreen ingredients.

大卫·安德鲁是非营利健康及环保倡议组织“环境工作小组”的高级科学家。他呼吁对防晒霜的成分进行详细测试。

"For years the sunscreen chemical manufactures have resisted common sense safety testing for their ingredients and now FDA is proposing that these common ingredients must undergo additional testing to stay on the market," Andrews said.

安德鲁表示，“多年来，防晒霜化学生产商一直拒绝对防晒霜成分进行常规安全性测试，现在美国食药监局提出，这些常见成分必须经过额外测试才能继续保留。”

However, the Personal Care Products Council trade association pointed⁴ out some problems with the study. They fear that people may not understand it well and could stop using sunscreen.

然而，贸易协会美国个人护理产品协会指出了这项研究存在的一些问题。他们担心人们可能无法完全理解该研究，继而不再使用防晒霜。

The volunteers in the study put on two times as much sunscreen as people usually apply in everyday use, said Alexandra Kowcz, the group's chief scientist.

协会首席科学家亚历山德拉·科沃兹表示，研究志愿者所涂抹的防晒霜是人们日常使用量的两倍。

Words in This Story

sunscreen – n. a lotion⁵ that you put on your skin to prevent sunburn by blocking out some of the sun's rays

regulation – an official rule or law that says how something should be done

absorb – v. to take in (something, such as a liquid) in a natural or gradual way

clinician – n. a person (such as a doctor or nurse) who works directly with patients rather than in a laboratory or as a researcher

evaluate – v. to judge the value or condition of (someone or something) in a careful and thoughtful way

benefit – n. something that produces good or helpful results or effects or that promotes well-being⁶

advocacy – n. the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal

ingredients – n. one of the things that are used to make a food or product

apply – v. to lay or spread on

certain – adj. known but not named

1 plasma   

n.血浆，细胞质，乳清

参考例句：

• Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。
• The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分，不包含各种细胞。

2 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

3 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 lotion   

n.洗剂

参考例句：

• The lotion should be applied sparingly to the skin.这种洗液应均匀地涂在皮肤上。
• She lubricates her hands with a lotion.她用一种洗剂来滑润她的手。

6 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。