Advanced nano technologies could bring with them a human health catastrophe to rival past use of cancer-linked asbestos, Australia’s top union group said on Tuesday.

先進奈米科技可能對人類健康造成嚴重傷害，堪比過去所使用、會致癌的石棉，澳洲首要工會組織週二表示。

The Australian Council of Trade Unions （ACTU） said there was little protection for workers exposed to so-called nanotech.

澳洲總工會（ACTU）表示，暴露在所謂奈米科技下的工人幾乎沒有保護措施。

"Remember when asbestos was introduced, it was considered to be a miracle product, and it wasn’t until many years later that we found the devastating effect it had," ACTU Assistant Secretary Geoff Fary told state radio.

「回想石棉被引進的時候吧，它曾被認為是一種神奇產品，直到多年後我們才發現它會帶來災難性影響」，ACTU的助理秘書喬夫．法利告訴國營電台說。

Asbestos fibres, resistant to heat, fire and chemicals, were widely used in construction and insulation before being linked to asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and other cancers.

石棉纖維耐熱、防火、不與化學品發生反應，曾被廣泛用於建築業和絕緣材料。人們後來發現石棉會引發石棉沈滯病、肺癌、間皮癌和其他癌症。

Nano-scale technologies, 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, are now used in hundreds of ordinary items from car fuel lines, bed sheets and cosmetics.

奈米級的技術，比人類頭髮寬度還小10萬倍，目前已用於數以百計的普通產品中，如汽車燃油管、床單以及化妝品。

The unions called for Australia’s centre-left government to begin a register of companies using nanotechnology, while introducing new safety tests and product labelling for consumers and workers using nanotech products.

該工會呼籲澳洲的中間偏左派政府開始對使用奈米科技的公司進行登記，並為使用奈米科技產品的消費者和工人引進新的安全測試和產品標示。

新聞辭典

catastrophe：名詞，大災難；大禍。例句：The catastrophe of a tragedy usually brings death or ruin to the leading character.（悲劇的結局常常是主角死亡或毀滅。）

rival：動詞，與……匹敵；比得上。例句：He soon rivaled the others in skill. （他在技術上不久便與其他人並駕齊驅。）

asbestosis：醫學名詞，石棉沈滯病，又稱「石棉肺」，是長期吸入大量石棉粉塵引起的胸膜和肺部疾病，其主要病變是肺部廣泛的間質纖維化及胸膜增厚，肺功能受到明顯影響。

自由時報-980502

++++++++++++++++++++++++++