◎鄭寺音

Boys born to women exposed to hairspray in the workplace may have a higher risk of being born with a genital defect.

在工作場合接觸髮膠的女性所生的男孩，有生殖器天生缺陷的風險可能較高。

Imperial College London scientists talked to women who had babies with hypospadias. They reported that hairspray exposure more than doubled the risk.

英國倫敦帝國學院科學家與生出尿道下裂嬰兒的女性交談。他們報告接觸髮膠可能增加一倍以上風險。

The study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, said it was too early to say for certain that hairspray was the cause.

這份刊登於「環境健康展望」期刊的研究說，目前要確定地說是導因於髮膠稍嫌太早。

The incidence of hypospadias has risen sharply in recent decades, and some experts have pointed the finger of suspicion at chemicals called phthalates.

尿道下裂最近數十年來發生率大增，部分專家懷疑是化學物質鄰苯二甲酸鹽造成。

Phthalates have the ability to disrupt hormones, and have been banned in toys in the EU for some years. Certain phthalates have also been banned from hairsprays and other cosmetic products since January 2005.

鄰苯二甲酸鹽會干擾荷爾蒙，歐盟多年來禁止玩具使用這種物質。2005年1月起，髮膠等化妝用品也禁用某些鄰苯二甲酸鹽類物質。

However, no study has found a convincing link between women exposed to them and problems in their children.

但是，目前沒有研究發現，女性接觸這種物質與孩子出現問題之間有令人信服的關聯。

新聞辭典

genital：形容詞，生殖的。

defect：名詞，缺點，缺陷。例句：It’s a character defect in her that she can’t ever accept that she’s in the wrong.（不能接受自己有錯是她性格的缺點。）

incidence：名詞，發生率。例句：There have been quite a few incidences of bullying in the school this year.（今年學校霸凌事件發生率相當低。）

自由時報-980122

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