过期非处方药污染严重污染全球河流，却面临无人回收的尴尬｜英语流利说

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#Prescription and Over-The-Counter Drugs are Polluting the World’s Rivers#

#非处方药污染全球河流#

The world’s rivers and fresh water systems are full of pollution from prescription and over-the-counter drugs and it is taking a toll on the environment and wildlife, experts say.

专家称，全世界河流和淡水系统受到处方药和非处方药的严重污染，影响到环境和野生动物。

Scientists meeting Tuesday in Vienna said if no action is taken, the problem will increase by 65 percent by 2050.

星期二在维也纳开会的科学家们说，如果听之任之，这个问题的严重性到2050年将增长65%。

The drugs include painkillers, hormones, anti-depressants and antihistamines.

这些药物包括止痛药、激素、抗抑郁药和抗组胺药。

Much of it ends up in the waters through human and animal waste because only small amounts are filtered out in treatment plants or absorbed into the ecosystem.

这些药物只有很少一部分在水处理过程中滤除或由生态系统吸收，大部分随人畜的排泄物进入水系统。

The drugs have caused sex charges in fish and amphibians and one type of anti-inflammatory drug has driven vultures in India close to extinction.

残留药物导致一些鱼类和两栖动物的性别发育受到干扰，而某种消炎药已致使印度秃鹫濒临灭绝。

U.N. experts have also said medicines in the environment are helping create drug-resistant bacteria.

联合国专家也称，环境中残存的药物正助长耐药性细菌的生长。

Some experts say that technology is not enough to tackle the problem and that a substantial reduction on a dependence on drugs is also needed.

有些专家表示，技术不足以解决问题，还需大幅度减少药物依赖。

1. prescription drug 处方药

2. over-the-counter drug 非处方药

3. take a toll on sth 伤害……，危害……

4. filter out过滤

5. plant n. 工厂

6. ecosystem n. 生态系统

7. amphibian n. 两栖动物

8. sex charge 性别发育

9. anti-inflammatory a. 消炎的

10. extinction n. 灭绝

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