生活在水力壓裂站附近的母親,她們生出的小孩更有可能體重偏輕

Children born near fracking sites are 25 percent more likely to weigh less than what is healthy at birth, according to a new study. Why this is happening isn't clear, but the researchers believe that it might have to do with environmental pollution, which may have negative health effects on mothers - and their babies.

一項新研究表明，在水力壓裂站附近出生的小孩，他們的體重更有可能低於健康值（可能性爲25%）。目前導致這一情況的原因尚不清楚，但研究人員認爲這可能與環境污染有關，環境污染可能會對母親--以及她們的孩子--帶來消極的健康影響。

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1 million births in Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2013. Babies born to mothers living up to 1.8 miles from a fracking site were found to have poorer health, and babies born within 0.6 miles saw the largest impacts, according to a study published in Science Advances. The findings could have implications for where fracking is authorized.

研究人員分析了從2004年至2013年出生在賓夕法尼亞州的100多萬嬰兒的數據。母親生活在離水力壓裂站1.8英里的地方，她們生出來的小孩健康狀況較差；母親生活在離水力壓裂站0.6英里的地方，她們的小孩受到的影響最大，發表在Science Advances期刊上的一項研究表示。這些研究可能會影響水力壓裂站的建造地點。

THE SHALE GAS BOOM COMES WITH SOME SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS

頁岩氣熱潮會帶來一些嚴重的副作用

Previous studies have shown that fracking causes air pollution that can harm babies, and that living nearby fracking sites is linked to premature births. Today's study adds to the evidence that the shale gas boom comes with some serious side effects. "There's growing evidence that living close to unconventional natural gas development might have implications for population health," says Joan Casey, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the research. "This is one of the largest studies to date showing that."

先前的研究已經表明：水力壓裂站會產生有害嬰兒的空氣污染，生活在水力壓裂站附近或導致早產。今天的研究提供了進一步的證據，表明頁岩氣熱潮會帶來一些嚴重的副作用。"越來越多的證據表明，生活在非傳統天然氣開發點或能影響人們的身體健康，"加州大學伯克利分校的博士後研究員瓊·凱西說道，她沒有參與到該項研究。"這是至今爲止表明這一問題的最大研究之一。"

Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, uses a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to crack sediment layers so that oil and natural gas can be tapped. The technique has revolutionized the energy landscape in the US, lowering energy prices and reducing dependance on coal. But it's also alarmed scientists and activists alike for its potential to pollute groundwater, affect air quality, and cause earthquakes.

水力壓裂站利用水、沙和化學物質的高壓混合物破碎沉積層，以開採石油和天然氣。這一技術徹底改變了美國的能源格局、降低了能源價格、減少了對煤炭的依賴。但同時也在警告科學家和活動家，該種方法可能會污染地下水、影響空氣質量、導致地震。

As several states like New York and Maryland have banned fracking, scientists are trying to figure out what impacts the controversial extraction technique has on health - especially when it comes to newborns. A 2014 study, for example, found that children born to mothers living nearby fracking sites may have a higher risk of heart defects. "Looking at the impacts of these chemicals on the most vulnerable population, which is unborn children, and finding these effects is really concerning," says Carol Kwiatkowski, the executive director of the nonprofit research institute The Endocrine Disruption Exchange.

紐約和馬里蘭州等幾個州已經禁止建造水力壓裂站，科學家正試圖弄清有爭議的提取技術對身體帶來的影響--尤其是對新生兒的影響。例如，2014年的一項研究發現，對於生活在水力壓裂站附近的母親而言，她們生出的孩子可能有較高的心臟缺陷風險。"研究這些化學物質對最爲脆弱的人口，也就是未出生嬰兒的影響，發現這些影響的確令人擔憂，"非盈利研究機構The Endocrine Disruption Exchange的執行主任卡羅·亞特科夫斯基說道。