The novel two part, peer-reviewed study from Chinese researchers adds to mounting evidence of the risks associated with eating from plastic, and builds on previous evidence linking plastic chemicals to heart disease.

研究人员采用了分两部分的研究方法。首先，他们调查了3000多名参与者用塑料外卖餐盒进食的频率，以及他们是否患有心脏病。然后，他们让实验鼠接触水中的塑料化学物质，这些水是在煮沸后倒入外卖餐盒中以提取塑料化学物质的。

The authors used a two-part approach, first looking into the frequency with which over 3,000 people in China ate from plastic takeout containers, and whether they had heart disease. They then exposed rats to plastic chemicals in water that was boiled and poured in carryout containers to extract chemicals.

研究人员在论文中写道：“数据显示， 高频接触塑料颗粒与充血性心力衰竭风险增加明显相关。”

“The data revealed that high-frequency exposure to plastics is significantly associated with an increased risk of congestive heart failure,” the authors wrote.

塑料中的许多化学物质，如双酚A（BPA）、邻苯二甲酸盐、全氟和多氟烷基物质，都会威胁健康。这些化学物质常存在于食品及食品包装中，与从癌症到生殖系统损害等一系列问题相关。

Plastic can contain any of about 20,000 chemicals, and many of them, such as BPA, phthalates and Pfas, present health risks. The chemicals are often found in food and food packaging, and are linked to a range of problems from cancer to reproductive harm.

尽管这篇新论文的研究人员没有检查究竟是哪些特定化学物质从塑料中析出，但他们指出了常见塑料化合物与心脏病的关联，以及先前已发现的肠道微生物群与心脏病的关联。

While researchers in the new paper didn’t check which specific chemicals were leaching from the plastic, they noted the link between common plastic compounds and heart disease, and a previous link between gut biome and heart disease.

他们将沸水分别倒入这些餐盒中1分钟、5分钟和15分钟，当餐盒中加入高温物时，塑料中的化学物质析出率要高得多。该研究引用了先前的一项研究，后者发现， 经微波加热后，每平方厘米塑料容器会析出多达420万个微塑料颗粒。

They put boiling water in the containers for one, five or 15 minutes because plastic chemicals leach at much higher rates when hot contents are placed in containers – the study cited previous research that found as many as 4.2m microplastic particles per sq cm can leach from plastic containers that are microwaved.

然后，研究人员让实验鼠喝了几个月被这些析出物污染的水，之后分析实验鼠的肠道微生物群以及粪便中的代谢物。他们发现了显著的变化。

The authors then gave rats the water contaminated with leachate to drink for several months, then analyzed the gut biome and metabolites in the feces. It found notable changes.

研究人员写道：“这表明，摄入这些析出物改变了实验鼠的肠道微环境，影响了肠道微生物群的构成，并改变了肠道微生物群的代谢物，尤其是那些与炎症和氧化应激相关的代谢物。”

“It indicated that ingestion of these leachates altered the intestinal microenvironment, affected gut microbiota composition, and modified gut microbiota metabolites, particularly those linked to inflammation and oxidative stress,” the authors wrote.

随后，他们检查了实验鼠的心肌组织， 发现心肌已经受损。

They then checked the rats’ heart muscle tissue and found it had been damaged.

这项研究没有建议消费者该如何保护自己。但公共卫生倡导者表示，在家 应避免用微波炉加热塑料容器或向其中添加热食，也不要用塑料容器烹饪任何食物。在家中用玻璃、木质或不锈钢制品替代塑料制品和塑料包装也会有所帮助。

外卖更难避免使用塑料餐盒。人们 可以自带玻璃容器包装，或到家后将食物转移到玻璃容器中。

来源：英国《卫报》、参考消息

编辑：董静

审核：富文佳 王旭泉 韩丰