The Hidden Danger of Lead in Soil | Yvette Cabrera | TED

翻译人员: Grace Chan 校对人员: Sue Lu

I bet you’ve heard about our problem with lead contamination.

我敢打赌你听说过我们的铅污染问题。

Here in the US,

在美国，

we began phasing out one of the largest sources of lead in gasoline

我们从 1970 年代中期 开始逐步淘汰最大的汽油

in the mid-1970s.

铅来源之一。

But for decades,

但是几十年来，

our vehicles had spewed this toxic exhaust into the atmosphere.

我们的车辆一直将 这种有毒废气喷射到大气中。

So where did that residual lead go?

那么剩余的铅去了哪里？

I'm an investigative reporter, and almost a decade ago,

我是一名调查记者，差不多十年前，

when I began digging into this issue,

当我开始研究这个问题时，

I realized there's a huge misconception about lead.

我意识到人们对铅有很大的误解。

We talk about it like the problem was solved decades ago,

我们谈论这个问题时， 就像它在几十年前已得到解决一样，

but it's still happening right now.

但它现在仍在发生。

Lead contamination isn't just a problem in the water of Flint, Michigan.

铅污染不仅仅是密歇根州 弗林特市水中的一个问题,

It's in the soil, too.

它也存在于土壤里。

And not just in Flint,

不仅是在弗林特，

but around the world and almost certainly where you live.

在世界各地都有， 可以肯定也包括你居住的地方。

Today, we know that no level of lead is safe in children's bodies,

今天，我们知道任何水平的铅 在儿童体内都是不安全的，

yet lead is detected in the blood of all children.

但是在所有儿童的血液 中都检测到铅。

Most people associate lead with water and paint.

大多数人将铅与水和油漆联系起来。

What they don't realize is that this invisible poison

但他们没有意识到，这种看不见的毒

could be in the very soil where their children are playing.

可能存在于他们孩子玩耍的土壤中。

Take Santa Ana, California,

以加利福尼亚州的圣安娜为例，

a city of more than 300,000 people.

这座城市人口超过 30 万。

In the 1960s,

在 1960 年代，

the tiny Mexican-American barrio of Logan

墨西哥裔美国人聚居的洛根小社区

was one of the poorest neighborhoods in Santa Ana.

是圣安娜最贫穷的社区之一。

Squeezed between two railroad tracks,

挤在两条铁轨之间，

next to a highway

毗邻高速公路，

and surrounded by all sorts of industry.

周围环绕着各种工业。

It had also been a segregated neighborhood.

它也是一个种族隔离的社区。

It was, as they say, on the wrong side of the tracks.

正如俗话所说，它在轨道错的一边。

But for the children of Logan, it was home.

但是对于洛根的孩子来说，这就是家。

Kids would race through the neighborhood, collecting barrels, crawl into them,

孩子们会在街区里奔跑， 收集大木桶，爬进去，

and then get carried away by the Santa Ana winds

然后被圣安娜的风吹走。

that would blast them across the school playground.

这些风会把他们吹过学校操场，

Everywhere the wind blew the children went.

风吹到哪里，孩子们就去到哪里。

But they didn't know what that wind carried.

但是他们不知道那风夹带着什么。

Tiny, invisible particles of toxic lead dust

微小的、看不见的有毒铅尘颗粒

that were floating in the air

随风漂浮在空中，

and landing in the soil in Santa Ana and cities across the country.

然后落在圣安娜和全国各市的土壤里。

We now know that decades of build up from leaded gas, paint,

我们现在知道了， 几十年来，含铅气体、油漆、

industrial emissions and other sources have created invisible mountains of lead

工业排放和其他来源的积累， 形成了隐形的铅山，

in our urban cores.

就坐落在城市核心地带。

Because lead contaminants can remain in the soil

由于铅污染物可以在土壤中停留

for decades, even centuries,

数十年甚至几个世纪，

this poses a threat for areas hit by climate change,

这对受气候变化影响的地区构成威胁，

for example, drought and flooding,

which can remobilize that toxic soil.

将会重新激活有毒土壤。

Soil lead mapping across the country and around the world

全国和世界各地的土壤铅测绘

shows that soil lead contamination is widespread and pervasive.

显示土壤铅污染广泛而普遍存在。

Here you can see how soil tests by scientists

你可以看到科学家的土壤测试

have found hotspots in our inner cities.

已经发现我们城市里的铅重灾区。

But most people don't read the scientific journals

但是大多数人不会阅读

showing this problem.

显示这个问题的科学期刊。

I first encountered the dangers of soil lead contamination in 2014,

我第一次遇到土壤铅污染 的危险问题是在 2014 年，

when I was reporting on young Latino boys who were disproportionately incarcerated

当时我在报道拉丁裔男孩 遭到不成比例的监禁，

and were being turned over to immigration authorities by probation departments

被加州缓刑部门移交给移民当局，

across California and then deported.

然后被驱逐出境。

And as I reported that story,

当我报道这个故事时，

interviewing the mothers of these young boys,

我采访了这些男孩的母亲，

I saw some similarities.

发现了一些相似之处。

Their sons had trouble learning in school.

他们的儿子在学校学习有困难。

They couldn't focus, they couldn't sit still,

他们无法集中注意力，无法静坐不动，

and they had been diagnosed

他们被诊断出

with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD.

患有注意力缺陷多动障碍（多动症）。

Around the same time,

大约在同一时间，

I serendipitously came across a magazine article about lead

我偶然看到了 一篇关于铅的杂志文章，

and a hypothesis about the link between lead and crime,

以及铅与犯罪之间联系的假设，

how the rise and fall of leaded gas use in cars

即汽车中含铅汽油使用量的起伏

had likely contributed to the rise and fall of violent crime in America.

可能对美国暴力犯罪兴衰的影响。

And, intriguingly, for my work,

有趣的是，在我的工作

a connection between ADHD and lead exposure.

专注于多动症与铅暴露之间的联系时，

And I had an epiphany.

我突然顿悟了。

I realized I was examining everything in these boys' environment:

我在研究这些男孩环境中的一切：

the poverty, the violence,

贫困、暴力、

the high police presence in their neighborhoods.

和他们社区中大量的警察，

But I wasn't considering the actual environment, the soil,

却没有考虑实际环境，即土壤，

as a factor that might be impacting their behavior.

作为可能影响他们行为的因素。

The neighborhoods where these young boys were growing up,

on the wrong side of the tracks,

位于轨道错的一边，

was determining their destiny.

这就决定了他们的命运。

Once they entered the juvenile justice system,

一旦他们进入少年司法系统，

keeping them out was tough.

就很难再出来了。

Suspensions led to expulsions,

停学导致开除，

which led to juvenile hall and then worse.

开除导致少年管教所，然后情况会更糟。

César Gaspar was eight years old when I first met him

当我第一次见到 塞萨尔·加斯帕时，他才八岁，

while reporting on incarcerated youth in his neighborhood.

当时我正在报道 他家附近被监禁的年轻人。

He had just been diagnosed with ADHD,

他刚刚被诊断出患有多动症，

and because his parents had pressed the school,

由于他的父母向学校施压，

he was receiving the services he needed to stay on track.

他获得了保持学习进展所需的帮助。

But his mom and dad still worried that he would end up

但是他的妈爸仍然担心他最终

in the school-to-prison pipeline.

会陷入从学校到监狱的恶性循环。

What was happening to César was happening to other young Latino boys

发生在塞萨尔身上的事情 也发生在其他拉丁裔男孩身上，

in Orange County and across California.

他们遍布奥兰治县和加州各地。

As a journalist and as a Mexican-American,

作为记者和墨西哥裔美国人，

a working class kid who had gone to college on scholarships,

我是靠奖学金上大学的工人阶级孩子，

I knew that your zip code,

我知道你的邮政编码，

where you grow up,

即你长大的地方，

can determine where you end up in life.

可以决定你的人生走向。

My immigrant parents dreamed big for me,

我的移民父母对我寄予厚望，

but if I hadn't grown up in Santa Barbara with top teachers

但是如果我没有在 圣塔芭芭拉长大，没有一流教师

and a healthy environment,

和健康的环境，

would I have been able to forge a path to a career in journalism?

我还能开辟一条通往新闻事业的道路吗？

I wondered, what if we could help children

我想知道，如果我们能帮助孩子

not only succeed in school,

不仅在学校取得成功，

but also keep them out of the criminal justice system?

还能远离刑事司法系统，会怎么样？

What if we could create healthier neighborhoods for everyone

如果我们能够创造更健康的社区，

by removing the threat that's right under our feet,

消除我们脚下的威胁,

and ensuring that neighborhoods are free

确保社区没有

of one of the most well-known

一种众所周知的

and harmful toxic metals known to humans?

对人类有害的有毒金属，会怎么样？

Lead.

有毒金属就是铅。

So I decided to test the soil for lead contamination in Santa Ana.

因此，我决定在圣安娜 测试土壤中的铅污染。

Now, I'm not a soil scientist.

我不是土壤科学家，

I don't have a PhD in geochemistry.

没有地球化学博士学位。

I grew up in California, working alongside my parents,

我在加州长大，从小帮父母干活，

helping my mom clean homes on the weekends,

周末帮妈妈打扫房屋，

and working after school in the gardens that my dad landscaped.

放学后在父亲设计的花园里干活。

It was not fun, let me tell you.

让我告诉你，这并不好玩。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It's why, as a kid,

这就是为什么，还是个孩子，

I vowed that one day I would have a job

我就发誓有一天我会找到一份工作，

where I would never, ever have to toil in the soil.

再也不用在土里辛勤劳作。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And as you can see, that did not work out very well.

正如你所看到的，结果不太令人满意。

There I am, testing the soil in Santa Ana,

我现在正测试圣安娜的土壤，

where so many families grow fruits,

那里有很多家庭种植水果、

vegetables, herbs, but most of all, corn.

蔬菜、草药，但最主要的是玉米。

Just like my dad did in our backyard when I was growing up.

就像我长大时爸爸在后院做的那样。

Santa Ana is a predominantly Latino immigrant city,

圣安娜是以拉丁裔移民为主的城市，

and data showed that the number of children who were lead-exposed

数据显示，那里接触铅的儿童人数

was much higher than any other city in Orange County,

比奥兰治县的任何其他城市都多得多，

and I wanted to know why.

而我想知道原因。

Eight years and two investigations later,

历时八年、两次调查之后，

I had indisputable evidence.

我有了无可争辩的证据。

These are the results of more than 1,600 soil tests

这些是 1,600 多次土壤测试结果，

that I conducted across the city.

是我在全市各处进行的。

The lighter the dot, the higher the lead level.

圆点颜色越浅，铅含量越高。

And as you can see, the highest levels,

你看，铅含量最高的地方，

that hotspot in yellow,

那个黄色的热点，

are located near the city center on the east side of Santa Ana,

位于圣安娜东侧的市中心附近，

where the Logan barrio is located in the 92701 zip code.

就是洛根区，邮政编码为 92701。

Altogether, these results show that more than half of the samples

这些结果表明，一半以上

in the city's poorest neighborhoods contain levels of lead

取自该市最贫困区域的样本，其含铅量

that the state of California considers unsafe for children.

超过加州认定的儿童安全标准。

The 92701 zip code not only ranked in the top five ZIP codes

92701 不仅是前五名邮编，

with minors booked into juvenile hall,

在未成年人进入少管所人数中名列前茅，

it also had the highest percentage of elevated soil tests

而且也有最高比例的土壤污染测试结果

and children with elevated blood lead levels.

和血铅水平升高的儿童。

This data galvanized a coalition of residents,

这些数据激发了居民、

university scholars and environmental justice advocates

大学学者和环境正义倡导者组成联盟，

who conducted their own soil tests

他们进行了自己的土壤测试，

and met with city planners and spoke up at city council meetings.

会见了城市规划人员， 并在市议会会议上发言。

And ultimately, they convinced the City of Santa Ana

最终，他们说服了圣安娜市

to comprehensively address lead contamination.

全面解决铅污染问题。

I also tested the soil in César's apartment complex and neighborhood

我还测试了塞萨尔的公寓楼和社区土壤，

and found lead.

也发现了铅。

Test results showed that he also had lead in his blood.

测试结果显示他的血液中也含有铅。

And I wrote about his family's efforts

我还写了一篇报道，关于他的家人

to make sure that he received the early intervention he needed,

为确保他得到早期干预的努力。

but despite this,

尽管如此，

he still ended up in the school-to-prison pipeline.

他最终还是陷入了 从学校到监狱的恶性循环。

In 2017,

2017 年，

he was arrested by school police and charged with two felonies

他被学校警察逮捕 并被指控犯有两项重罪,

for bringing a pocket knife to school in his backpack.

就因为上学时在背包里装了一把小刀。

At the age of 12,

在 12 岁那年，

he faced the potential five years in juvenile hall.

他面临着在少管所服刑五年的可能。

So his public defender raised his lead exposure and ADHD issues

因此，他的公设辩护人 在少年法庭上提出了他的铅暴露

in juvenile court,

和多动症问题。

and ultimately, the judge decided to place him on informal probation

最终，法官决定判处他非正式缓刑，

and assigned him to community service work at school.

并指派他在学校从事社区服务劳动。

But his case is rare.

但是他的案子很少见。

Most boys like him end up in juvenile hall.

多数像他这样的男孩最终都进了少管所。

The question I had is how many of these youth are lead-burdened?

我的问题是，他们中有多少人为铅所累？

One of the most disturbing things about lead

铅最令人不安的事实之一是，

is the way it can come back to haunt you in different ways throughout your life.

它会以不同方式在你一生中不断困扰你。

That's because once lead enters the bloodstream,

因为一旦铅进入血液，

it gets stored in our bones where it can then be rereleased,

就会储存在骨骼中，然后重新释放出来。

for example, when mothers are breastfeeding,

例如，当母亲进行母乳喂养时，

the calcium that's transferred from the mother into the fetus.

钙会从母亲转移到胎儿体内。

Also, throughout our lives,

此外，在我们的一生中，

things like sickness, stress, menopause and aging

疾病、压力、更年期和衰老等因素，

can also release that lead into the bloodstream.

也会让铅释放从而进入血液。

It's also the silent killer that's rarely talked about.

它也是鲜为人知的沉默杀手,

A major risk factor for cardiovascular disease,

心血管疾病的主要危险因素，

responsible for more than 250,000 deaths every year in the US.

在美国每年造成超过 25 万人死亡。

And also one of the leading causes of fatal heart attacks in this country.

它也是美国致命心脏病发作的主因。

So one of the questions that was driving me

因此，一个促使我

in the work that I was doing is,

从事该项工作的问题就是，

why are we allowing our children to get poisoned by lead?

为什么我们允许孩子铅中毒？

Why aren't we protecting our most important asset?

为什么我们不保护最重要的财富？

The best thing I could do is share what I've learned along the way

我能做的最好的事情就是分享给

with other journalists, so they, too,

其他记者我所学到的知识，这样他们

could make the invisible visible in their communities.

也能在其社区中曝光隐形毒害。

That's why I created this reporting toolkit,

因此，我创建了这个报道工具包，

as a road map to help journalists investigate this issue.

作为帮助记者调查这个问题的路线图。

The toolkit is also for community members

该工具包还可供社区成员

to help raise awareness about soil lead.

帮助人们提高对土壤铅的认识。

Researchers have found soil lead contamination in small and large cities.

研究人员发现大小城市都有土壤铅污染。

But one of the problems is we don't have a systematic program

但问题是我们没有一个系统的计划

to map urban soils,

来绘制城市土壤地图，

to identify lead hotspots and eliminate them.

确定铅热点并将其消除。

Today, in most cities,

今天，在大多数城市里，

we don't know where those invisible mountains are.

我们不知道那些隐形铅山在哪里。

We have a Clean Air Act, a Clean Water Act,

我们有《清洁空气法》、《清洁水法》，

but we don't have a Clean Soil Act.

却没有《清洁土壤法》。

To protect children,

为了保护儿童，

experts say we should test the soil and reduce the exposure.

专家说，我们应该测试 土壤并减少铅暴露。

The good news is we have solutions.

好消息是我们有解决方案。

Here in New York City,

在纽约市，

groups like the Legacy Lead Coalition

像 Legacy Lead Coalition 这样的组织

are spreading the word about ways that people can tap the city's free,

正在宣传如何利用该市免费、

clean soil bank to cover unsafe soil.

干净土壤库存来覆盖不安全土壤。

But we can't tackle the problem one child or one house at a time.

但是我们不能一次只解决 一个孩子或一所房子的问题，

Because lead knows no boundaries.

因为铅不分界线，

It's where the wind blows from our cities

它会随风从我们的城市

to the furthest reaches of the Earth and our polar ice caps.

吹到地球最远的地方和极地冰盖。

The work that I'm doing today

我今天在做的工作

is about connecting the past with the present.

是将过去与现在联系起来。

I'm organizing a global convening

我正在组织一次全球会议，

to create an action plan to map urban soils,

制定行动计划以绘制城市土壤地图，

and to find a way to eradicate lead from our environment,

并找到一种方法来消除环境中的铅，

to ensure that growing up on the wrong side of the tracks

确保在轨道错的一边长大

doesn’t derail a child’s destiny, by preventing lead poisoning

也不会毁掉孩子的命运； 只要防止他们被铅毒害，

to protect our most valuable asset, the human mind.

就能保护我们最宝贵的财富，人类心智。

And by planting a seed in the soil, just like my dad did so long ago,

通过在土壤中播下种子， 就像我父亲很久以前所做的，

hoping it takes root,

希望它能扎下根，

so that one day the world can see for itself

这样有一天，世界就能看到

what's been right before our eyes all along.

一直就在我们眼前的事实。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）