The deadliest thing in your kitchen - George Zaidan

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

Avocados may seem innocent,

酪梨看似無辜，

but these oblong fruits sent almost 9,000 people to US emergency rooms

但光在 2018 年， 這種橢圓形的水果

就在美國把九千人送進急診室。

in 2018 alone.

Injuries sustained by hacking at the pit or slicing while holding the fruit

一手拿著酪梨，一手用刀 刺果核或切片時受傷

have become so common, doctors have dubbed them avocado hand.

變得非常普遍，以致於 醫生把這種傷稱為酪梨手。

Of course, there is a safer way to cut avocados.

切酪梨當然有更安全的方式。

But knives are just one of the hazards kitchens harbor.

但刀具只是廚房中潛藏的危險之一。

In the US, between 2011 and 2022,

美國在 2011 年至 2022 年間，

the deadliest kitchen appliances were ovens and ranges—

最致命的廚房器具是烤箱和烤箱爐，

appliances that are stoves and ovens in one.

烤箱爐指的是爐具與烤箱合一的器具。

They took lives by causing fires and leaking carbon monoxide,

它們會因釀成火災 及一氧化碳外洩而造成死傷，

a gas that can cause suffocation at high concentrations.

高濃度的一氧化碳氣體會導致窒息。

These kinds of sudden, catastrophic fatalities are thankfully rare.

幸運的是，這種突發的 災難性死亡事故很罕見。

But the kitchen dangers that cause the most casualties

但在廚房裡造成最多死傷的危險物品

may actually be less immediate and more gradual—

其實作用沒那麼立即， 比較是漸進式的——

involving constant exposures, like stuff in the air we breathe.

持續接觸，像是我們 呼吸的空氣中的東西。

Ovens and stoves remain a major culprit here.

在此，烤箱和爐具 仍然是造成危險的主要原因。

Indeed, the fourth leading cause of years of life lost globally is air pollution.

事實上，全球造成壽命減損的 第四大主原是空氣污染。

This includes indoor air pollution, most of which comes from cooking.

這包括室內空氣污染， 大部分來自烹飪。

Over 2 billion people cook using a solid fuel, like charcoal and wood.

有超過二十億人在烹飪時使用 固體燃料，如木炭和木材。

As it burns, fire and oxygen can’t reach all of the fuel source,

燃料燃燒時，火焰和氧氣 無法與燃料的每個部份接觸，

leading to incomplete combustion.

導致燃燒不完全。

This produces pollutants like soot, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides,

這就會產生污染物，如煤灰、 一氧化碳、氮氧化物，

and lots of particulate matter—

及大量懸浮微粒——

that is, solid and liquid particles that have become airborne

也就是懸浮在空氣中且小到 可以吸入的固體和液體顆粒，

and small enough to inhale.

A single particle can contain many different chemicals.

單一顆粒就可能含有 許多不同的化學物質，

And especially tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs,

而非常微小的顆粒， 可能會深入肺部、

enter the bloodstream, and irritate tissues,

進入血液並刺激組織、

cause inflammation, and bring about more systemic problems.

造成發炎，並引發 更多全身性的問題。

It’s estimated that about 3 million people die prematurely each year

據估計，每年約有三百萬人

因燃燒固體燃料 所引發的疾病而過早死亡。

from illnesses caused by burning solid fuels.

Stoves and ovens that don’t use solid fuels produce far less pollution—

不使用固體燃料的爐具和烤箱 產生的污染會少很多，

but still a considerable amount.

但量仍然算很大。

There are two basic types: gas and electric.

有兩種基本類型：瓦斯和電氣。

Gas stoves primarily burn methane to create an open flame for cooking.

瓦斯爐主要燃燒甲烷， 產生明火供烹飪用。

Traditional electric stoves use metal elements that radiate heat

傳統電爐則使用金屬元件，

當電流被迫通過時， 它們就會輻射出熱量。

when an electrical current is forced through them.

They’re different from modern induction electric stoves,

它們與現代的電磁爐不同，

which use electromagnetic waves to induce currents

電磁爐用電磁波來誘發電流，

that heat iron and steel cookware directly.

直接將鐵製及鋼製的鍋具加熱。

Gas stoves pollute more than electric ones.

瓦斯爐造成的污染比電爐多。

That's because natural gas combustion produces byproducts like carbon monoxide,

這是因為天然氣的燃燒 會產生副產物，如：

一氧化碳、氮氧化物，和甲醛。

nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde.

Unravelling the causes of chronic diseases is incredibly difficult,

要解釋慢性疾病的成因 是非常困難的，

but accumulating evidence suggests that gas stoves exacerbate asthma symptoms

但越來越多證據證明， 瓦斯爐會加劇氣喘症狀，

and put children at increased risk of developing the condition.

並讓兒童有更高患氣喘的風險。

Electric ranges are cleaner than gas ones,

電烤箱爐比用瓦斯的爐灶更乾淨。

but they’re still not totally pollution-free— no ranges are.

但仍然不是完全無污染—— 沒有爐灶是完全無污染的。

At least some air pollution is inevitable from the cooking process,

在烹飪過程中，不論用哪種燃料，

no matter the fuel type.

有些空氣污染是無法避免的。

High-heat cooking generally releases more pollutants

和低溫烹飪相比，高溫烹飪 通常會釋放出較多污染物；

than lower heat methods;

after all, charring a steak isn’t all that different from burning a solid fuel.

畢竟，把牛排燒焦和燃燒 固體燃料並沒有太大的差別。

And substances like oil and dust can accumulate

油和灰塵等物質可能會累積起來，

and release pollutants when heated.

加熱時就會釋放出污染物。

Transitioning away from solid fuels is critical to improving indoor air quality—

若要改善室內空氣品質， 換掉固體燃料十分重要，

and consequently, extending people’s lives.

品質改善後，人的壽命也會延長。

Cooking with proper ventilation—

烹飪時要有適當的通風

ideally, from a powerful range hood that vents to the outdoors—

最理想的是用一台強力的 排油煙機，將廢氣排到室外，

and switching from gas to electric will also go a long way.

把用瓦斯的器具換成用電的 也會有很大的幫助。

Electric appliances are less dangerous by another significant metric:

用電的器具在另一個指標上 也比較沒那麼危險：

the global climate.

全球氣候指標。

Burning fossil fuels like natural gas

燃燒化石燃料，如天然氣，

releases atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide,

會釋放讓大氣暖化的二氧化碳，

and gas ranges can also leak methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas.

而瓦斯爐灶還可能逸散甲烷， 甲烷是比二氧化碳更嚴重的溫室氣體。

Electric appliances, meanwhile,

至於用電的器具，

should only become more and more climate-compatible

應該只會變得越來越符合氣候需求，

as grids transition to renewable energy sources.

因為電力持續在轉型為再生能源。

In addition to being better for the climate and public health,

除了對氣候和公眾健康有益之外，

electric induction stoves tend to rival or outperform all other stove types—

在其他方面電磁爐也足以媲美 甚至優於瓦斯爐和其他電爐——

electric and gas— when it comes to cooking efficiency and ease of cleaning.

烹飪效率高又容易清潔。

Induction stovetops also only heat things

電磁爐只會對其磁場 有強烈反應的東西加熱，

that respond strongly to their magnetic fields,

so you can’t burn yourself on them directly.

所以你不可能直接被電磁爐燒傷。

Given the considerable health and climate concerns around gas appliances,

瓦斯器具在健康和氣候方面 都有令人憂心之處，

some governments have banned them from new developments

因此有些政府已禁止 開發使用瓦斯的器具，

and many are helping subsidize the transition from gas to electric.

許多政府也補助民眾 從瓦斯轉換到電氣。

Knives will probably be staying the same, though,

不過，刀具還是刀具，

so please stop stabbing at avocados while they’re in your hand.

所以，酪梨拿在手上時， 別再拿刀刺了。