《中英對照讀新聞》Study：Pollutants may trim sex organ size 研究︰污染物可能讓性器官變小

◎陳成良

A Danish study suggests exposure to high levels of pollutants called organohalogen compounds may reduce the size of sexual organs in polar bears.

丹麥一項研究指出，暴露在高劑量「有機鹵化物」污染物質之下，可能使北極熊的性器官變小。

Organohalogen compounds, or OHCs, include dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls and some pesticides.

有機鹵化物，或稱OHC，包含戴奧辛、多氯聯苯及數種殺蟲劑。

Christian Sonne and colleagues at Denmark's National Environmental Research Institute checked 55 male and 44 female East Greenland polar bears for a correlation between OHC levels in body tissue and size of sexual organs.

丹麥國家環境研究所的索奈及其同僚，檢查東格林蘭地區55頭雄性及44頭雌性北極熊，找出牠們身體組織內有機鹵化物濃度與性器官大小的關聯性。

Sonne's group wanted to determine OHC's possible effects on reproduction in polar bears. The bears have elevated OHC levels, due to a diet that includes seals, which accumulate large amounts of OHCs in their blubber.

索奈的研究小組希望研判OHC對北極熊繁殖力可能造成的影響。這群熊體內OHC濃度較高，因為牠們的食物包括海豹，而這些海豹的肥厚脂肪層囤積了大量OHC。

The study shows a connection between OHC levels and reduced size of the uterus in female bears and reduced size of the testis and baculum in males. A large baculum, or penis, is critical for successful mating in an arctic climate, the researchers note, and even slight decreases may interfere with reproduction.

這項研究顯示，OHC濃度與母熊子宮及公熊的睪丸和陰莖骨變小有關。研究人員指出，一個大陰莖骨（或陰莖），對於要在北極天候下成功交配而言至關重要，即使微幅變小都可能妨礙到繁殖功能。

The scientists say similar physiological impacts may occur in humans relying on OHC-contaminated food resources.

這些科學家說，類似的生理影響也可能發生在依賴遭OHC污染的食物來源的人類身上。

新聞辭典

correlation：相互關係；關聯。the correlation between climate and vegetation（氣候與植物生長之間的關係。）

elevated：升高的；高層的。

an elevated railroad （高架鐵路）。Some elevated people favor the new policy. （一些高層人士支持該項新政策。）

baculum： 陰莖骨。