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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

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

我敢說各位都聽說過 我們的鉛污染問題。

Here in the US,

在美國，

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

從 1970 年代中期起， 我們就開始逐步淘汰

最大的鉛來源之一，汽油。

in the mid-1970s.

But for decades,

但，過去數十年來，

our vehicles had spewed this toxic exhaust into the atmosphere.

我們的車輛已經將這種 有毒的廢氣排放到大氣中了。

So where did that residual lead go?

那麼，殘留的鉛到哪去了？

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

我是調查記者，

近十年前，我開始研究這個議題，

when I began digging into this issue,

I realized there's a huge misconception about lead.

那時我發現大家對鉛有重大的誤解。

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

我們談論這個問題時，好像 覺得問題在幾十年前就解決了，

but it's still happening right now.

但問題現在仍然存在。

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

鉛污染問題不只存在於 密西根州弗林特的水中。

It's in the soil, too.

土壤裡也有。

And not just in Flint,

且不只在弗林特，

but around the world and almost certainly where you live.

世界各地都有，且幾乎可以 肯定，各位居住的地方也有。

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

如今，我們知道兒童體內 有任何含量的鉛都不安全，

yet lead is detected in the blood of all children.

但所有兒童的血液都有檢測出鉛。

Most people associate lead with water and paint.

大多數人認為鉛與水和油漆有關。

What they don't realize is that this invisible poison

他們卻不知道，這種隱形毒物

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

可能就在孩子玩耍的土壤中。

Take Santa Ana, California,

以加州的聖塔安娜為例，

a city of more than 300,000 people.

這個城市的居民超過三十萬人。

In the 1960s,

在 1960 年代，

the tiny Mexican-American barrio of Logan

墨西哥裔美國人居住的小移民區洛根

was one of the poorest neighborhoods in Santa Ana.

是聖塔安娜最貧窮的鄰里之一。

Squeezed between two railroad tracks,

擠在兩條鐵軌之間，

next to a highway

旁邊有一條高速公路，

and surrounded by all sorts of industry.

周圍還有各種工業。

It had also been a segregated neighborhood.

它也曾是實施種族隔離的鄰里。

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

它就是所謂的「位在鐵軌 環境不好的那一側」。

But for the children of Logan, it was home.

但對洛根的孩童來說，那就是家。

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

孩童會在鄰里街頭追逐，收集桶子，

爬進桶子裡，再被 聖塔安娜的風給吹走，

and then get carried away by the Santa Ana winds

that would blast them across the school playground.

風可以把他們吹過學校操場。

Everywhere the wind blew the children went.

風吹到哪裡，孩童就會去哪裡玩。

But they didn't know what that wind carried.

但他們不知道那些風中帶著什麼。

Tiny, invisible particles of toxic lead dust

微小、看不見的有毒鉛塵

that were floating in the air

漂浮在空中，

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

且會落在聖塔安娜 和全國各地城市的土壤上。

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

我們現在知道，

數十年來，從含鉛汽油、油漆、 工業排放，及其他來源的累積，

industrial emissions and other sources have created invisible mountains of lead

已經在城市的核心地帶 形成了隱形的鉛山。

in our urban cores.

Because lead contaminants can remain in the soil

由於鉛污染物可以在土壤中存留

for decades, even centuries,

數十年，甚至數世紀，

this poses a threat for areas hit by climate change,

對於受氣候變遷影響的地區 而言，這會構成威脅，

for example, drought and flooding,

比如，乾旱和洪水，

which can remobilize that toxic soil.

可能會重新移動有毒的土壤。

Soil lead mapping across the country and around the world

全國和世界各地的 土壤含鉛量測繪圖表

shows that soil lead contamination is widespread and pervasive.

顯示土壤鉛污染很廣泛且普遍。

Here you can see how soil tests by scientists

螢幕上可以看到科學家 所做的土壤檢測如何

have found hotspots in our inner cities.

找到內城區的熱點。

但大部分人不會去看 談到這些問題的科學期刊，

But most people don't read the scientific journals

showing this problem.

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

2014 年，我初次接觸到 土壤鉛污染的危險性，

當時我在報導拉丁裔的年輕男孩，

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

他們被監禁的人數高到不成比例，

and were being turned over to immigration authorities by probation departments

在加州各地，他們會被假釋部門

across California and then deported.

移交給移民局，然後驅逐出境。

And as I reported that story,

我為了做這篇報導

interviewing the mothers of these young boys,

去訪問這些年輕男孩的母親時，

I saw some similarities.

我發現了一些相似之處。

Their sons had trouble learning in school.

她們的兒子在學校學習時會遇到困難。

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

他們無法專注，無法坐定，

and they had been diagnosed

且他們被診斷出

with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD.

注意力不足過動症（ADHD）。

Around the same time,

大約同一時期，

I serendipitously came across a magazine article about lead

我偶然讀到了一篇 關於鉛的雜誌文章，

and a hypothesis about the link between lead and crime,

文中也有提到鉛和犯罪之間 可能有關聯的假設。

how the rise and fall of leaded gas use in cars

汽用汽油中含鉛量的增減

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

有可能也曾帶動美國 暴力犯罪數的增減。

And, intriguingly, for my work,

對我的工作而言，值得探討的是：

a connection between ADHD and lead exposure.

ADHD 和接觸到鉛可能是有關聯的。

And I had an epiphany.

我靈光一現，有了頓悟。

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

我發現，

雖然我調查了這些男孩 所處環境中的一切：

the poverty, the violence,

貧窮、暴力、

the high police presence in their neighborhoods.

他們所住的鄰里中有大量警力。

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

但我沒考量到實際的環境，土壤，

as a factor that might be impacting their behavior.

也可能是影響他們行為的一個因素。

The neighborhoods where these young boys were growing up,

這些年輕男孩成長過程所住的鄰里

on the wrong side of the tracks,

位在鐵軌環境不好的那一側，

was determining their destiny.

這決定了他們的命運。

Once they entered the juvenile justice system,

一旦他們進入青少年司法系統， 就很難讓他們脫離。

keeping them out was tough.

Suspensions led to expulsions,

停學導致退學，

which led to juvenile hall and then worse.

退學導致進入少年觀護所， 然後還會更糟。

César Gaspar was eight years old when I first met him

我初次見到凱撒‧ 蓋斯帕時，他才八歲，

while reporting on incarcerated youth in his neighborhood.

我當時去報導他居住的 鄰里中被監禁的青年。

He had just been diagnosed with ADHD,

他剛被診斷出 ADHD，

and because his parents had pressed the school,

因為他的父母有對學校施壓，

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

他還可以得到步上正軌所需的學習。

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

但他的爸媽仍然擔心他最終會淪落到

in the school-to-prison pipeline.

學校通往監獄的自動輸送管道中。

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

凱撒遇到的事也發生在 其他年輕拉丁裔男孩身上，

in Orange County and across California.

在橘郡及加州各地皆是如此。

As a journalist and as a Mexican-American,

身為記者以及墨西哥裔美國人，

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

身為靠獎學金上大學的 藍領階級孩子，

I knew that your zip code,

我知道你的郵遞區號、

where you grow up,

你成長的地方，

can determine where you end up in life.

可能會決定你在人生中的歸宿。

我的移民父母對我的夢想很遠大，

My immigrant parents dreamed big for me,

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

但如果我沒有在聖塔芭芭拉 長大，擁有頂尖教師

and a healthy environment,

和健康的環境，

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

我還有可能開創出 通往新聞職涯的道路嗎？

I wondered, what if we could help children

我想知道，我們能否幫助孩子

not only succeed in school,

不僅在學業上取得成功，

but also keep them out of the criminal justice system?

也讓他們遠離刑事司法系統呢？

What if we could create healthier neighborhoods for everyone

如果我們能為所有人 創造出更健康的鄰里，

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

除去我們腳下土壤中的威脅，

and ensuring that neighborhoods are free

並確保鄰里不會有

of one of the most well-known

最為人所知、對人類 最有害的有毒金屬之一，

and harmful toxic metals known to humans?

Lead.

也就是鉛？

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

所以我決定去檢測

聖塔安娜的土壤是否有鉛污染。

Now, I'm not a soil scientist.

我不是土壤科學家。

I don't have a PhD in geochemistry.

我沒有地球化學的博士學位。

我在加州長大，

I grew up in California, working alongside my parents,

跟著父母工作，

helping my mom clean homes on the weekends,

週末協助我媽媽清掃房屋，

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

放學後在我爸爸造景的花園裡工作。

It was not fun, let me tell you.

我可以告訴各位，那並不好玩。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's why, as a kid,

這就是為什麼，小時候，

我發誓將來我做的工作

I vowed that one day I would have a job

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

永遠不會需翻土幹活。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

各位可以看到，結果非我所願。

There I am, testing the soil in Santa Ana,

那就是我，在檢測聖塔安娜的土壤，

where so many families grow fruits,

很多家庭在那裡栽種水果、

vegetables, herbs, but most of all, corn.

蔬菜、藥草，但最多的是玉米。

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

我成長過程中，我爸爸 在我們家後院也有種這些。

Santa Ana is a predominantly Latino immigrant city,

聖塔安娜這個城市 居民主要為拉丁裔移民。

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

資料顯示，接觸到鉛的孩童數目

was much higher than any other city in Orange County,

遠高於橘郡的任何其他城市，

and I wanted to know why.

而我想知道為什麼。

Eight years and two investigations later,

經過了八年和兩次調查後， 我取得了無可爭辯的證據。

I had indisputable evidence.

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

這些結果來自於我在該城市各地 進行的一千六百多次土壤檢測。

that I conducted across the city.

The lighter the dot, the higher the lead level.

顏色較亮的點代表鉛含量較高。

And as you can see, the highest levels,

各位可以看到，最高的含量，

that hotspot in yellow,

也就是黃色的熱點，

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

都位在聖塔安娜東區的市中心附近，

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

那正是洛根移民區的所在，

郵遞區號 92701。

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

整體來看，這些結果顯示，

該城市最貧窮的鄰里 有一半以上的樣本，

in the city's poorest neighborhoods contain levels of lead

依加州標準，含鉛量 都對兒童是不安全的。

that the state of California considers unsafe for children.

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

92701 這個郵遞區號

不僅是未成年人被送入少年 觀護所的前五名郵遞區號，

with minors booked into juvenile hall,

it also had the highest percentage of elevated soil tests

它也有最高比例的土壤檢測超標

and children with elevated blood lead levels.

以及兒童血液鉛含量超標。

This data galvanized a coalition of residents,

這些資料促成了一個聯盟， 成員包括當地居民、

大學學者，

university scholars and environmental justice advocates

及環境正義倡導者，

who conducted their own soil tests

這些人自己進行土壤檢測，

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

和城市規劃人員見面， 並在市議會會議上發言。

And ultimately, they convinced the City of Santa Ana

最終，他們說服了聖塔安娜市

to comprehensively address lead contamination.

全面處理鉛污染問題。

我也針對凱撒的公寓大樓 和鄰里進行土壤檢測，

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

and found lead.

結果有發現鉛。

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

根據檢測結果，他的血液中也有鉛。

And I wrote about his family's efforts

我報導了他家人所做的努力以確保 他能得到他需要的早期介入，

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

but despite this,

但，儘管如此，他仍然落入 學校通往監獄的管道裡。

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

In 2017,

2017 年，

he was arrested by school police and charged with two felonies

他被校園警察逮捕，

並被指控兩項重罪，

for bringing a pocket knife to school in his backpack.

因為他到學校時 背包裡有一把小折刀。

At the age of 12,

十二歲時，

he faced the potential five years in juvenile hall.

他面臨可能要在少年觀護所 待上五年的命運。

So his public defender raised his lead exposure and ADHD issues

因此，他的公共辯護律師

在少年法庭上提出他接觸過鉛 以及 ADHD 的議題，

in juvenile court,

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

最終，法官的裁決是非正式緩刑，

and assigned him to community service work at school.

並指派他到學校做社區服務工作。

But his case is rare.

但他的案例很罕見。

Most boys like him end up in juvenile hall.

大部分像他這樣的男孩 最後都淪落到少年觀護所。

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

我的問題是，這些青少年當中 有多少人受到鉛污染的影響？

One of the most disturbing things about lead

關於鉛，最讓人不安的其中一點

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

是在你的一生中，它都會以 不同的方式陰魂不散地影響你。

That's because once lead enters the bloodstream,

原因是，一旦鉛進入血液中，

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

它就會被儲存在骨頭中， 那裡的鉛可以被重新釋出，

for example, when mothers are breastfeeding,

比如，

母親餵母乳時，

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

母親會把鈣轉移給胎兒。

Also, throughout our lives,

此外，在我們的一生中，

things like sickness, stress, menopause and aging

疾病、壓力，

更年期，和老化等也會 讓那些鉛被釋放到血液中。

can also release that lead into the bloodstream.

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

鉛也是很少被談論的潛在殺手。

A major risk factor for cardiovascular disease,

它是心血管疾病的主要風險因子，

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

在美國，每年有超過 二十五萬人的死亡都與它有關。

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

在美國，它也是致命心臟病 發作的主要原因之一。

So one of the questions that was driving me

因此，驅使我去做這些工作的 其中一個問題是：

in the work that I was doing is,

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

為什麼我們容許 我們的孩子被鉛毒害？

我們為什麼不保護 我們最重要的資產？

Why aren't we protecting our most important asset?

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

我能做到最好的就是把過程中 所學到的分享給其他記者，

with other journalists, so they, too,

讓他們同樣可以讓他們的社區中 不被看見的事情被看見。

could make the invisible visible in their communities.

That's why I created this reporting toolkit,

這就是為什麼我創造了 這個報導工具組，

as a road map to help journalists investigate this issue.

記者可以把它當作準則 來調查這個議題。

The toolkit is also for community members

社區成員也可以使用這個工具組

to help raise awareness about soil lead.

來協助居民更了解 土壤含鉛的這個問題。

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

研究人員已經在大大小小的 城市中發現了土壤鉛污染。

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

但其中一個問題是 我們沒有系統化的程式

來繪製城市土壤地圖、

to map urban soils,

to identify lead hotspots and eliminate them.

找出鉛熱點，並消除它們。

Today, in most cities,

現今，在大部分的城市，我們 都不知道那些隱形的鉛山在哪裡。

we don't know where those invisible mountains are.

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

我們有清潔空氣法，有清潔水法，

but we don't have a Clean Soil Act.

卻沒有清潔土壤法。

To protect children,

專家說，若要保護兒童，

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

我們應該要檢測土壤並減少接觸。

The good news is we have solutions.

好消息是我們有解決方案。

Here in New York City,

在紐約市這裡，

groups like the Legacy Lead Coalition

像「鉛害清除聯盟」等團體

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

在宣傳大家可以如何 利用該市的免費乾淨土壤庫

clean soil bank to cover unsafe soil.

來覆蓋不安全的土壤。

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

但我們不能用一次協助一個孩子 或一間房子的方式來處理這個問題。

Because lead knows no boundaries.

因為鉛是不受界線限制的。

It's where the wind blows from our cities

風吹得到的地方就會有鉛， 從我們的城市，

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

到地球最遠的地方，以及極地冰帽。

The work that I'm doing today

我現今在做的工作 是把過去與現在連結起來。

is about connecting the past with the present.

I'm organizing a global convening

我正在組織一個全球聚會，

to create an action plan to map urban soils,

來創造行動計畫、

繪製城市土壤地圖，

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

並設法把鉛從我們的環境中根除，

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

以確保即使在鐵軌 環境不好的那一側長大，

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

不會毀掉孩子的命運，

我們要預防鉛毒害，

to protect our most valuable asset, the human mind.

來保護我們最珍貴的資產：

人的心智。

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

我們要在土壤中播種，

就像我爸爸很久以前所做的，

hoping it takes root,

希望它能生根，

so that one day the world can see for itself

這麼一來，有一天， 人們就能親自看到

what's been right before our eyes all along.

一直以來就在眼前的事物。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）