手機被定爲"可致癌物質" 堪比殺蟲劑
一個由各國專家所組成的小組在分析了十多份已出版的研究報告之後指出，手機被定性爲“可能致癌的物質。”
The statement was issued in Lyon, France, on Tuesday by the International Agency for Research on Cancer after a weeklong meeting of experts. They reviewed possible links between cancer and the type of electromagnetic radiation found in cellphones, microwaves and radar.
在於這些專家組經過了長達一週的會面之後，國際癌症研究機構在法國里昂發佈了這一聲明，稱發現了有可能與癌症相關的電磁波，這些電磁波存在於手機、微波爐和雷達之中。
The agency is the cancer arm of the World Health Organization and the assessment now goes to WHO and national health agencies for possible guidance on cellphone use.
這家機構是世界衛生組織的分支機構，現在受命於WHO和國際健康組織制定有可能問世的手機健康使用指南。
The group classified cellphones in category 2B, meaning they are possibly carcinogenic to humans. Other substances in that category include the pesticide DDT and gasoline engine exhaust.
該機構將手機劃分到了2B的類別之中，這也就意味着手機被認爲是可能導致人體致癌的物質。該類別中的其他物質還包括了殺蟲劑、農藥以及汽車引擎所排放的尾氣。
Last year, results of a large study found no clear link between cellphones and cancer. But some advocacy groups contend the study raised serious concerns because it showed a hint of a possible connection between very heavy phone use and glioma, a rare but often deadly form of brain tumor. However, the numbers in that subgroup weren't sufficient to make the case.
去年，有一份大規模的研究稱並未發現手機和癌症之間明確的關聯。但某些團體呼籲提高社會對於該領域的關切程度，有跡象顯示，頻繁的使用手機與罹患神經膠質瘤之間存在聯繫，神經膠質瘤是一種相當罕見而又足以致命的腦腫瘤。然而，持有該主張的人數到底太少，最終未能成事。The study was controversial because it began with people who already had cancer and asked them to recall how often they used their cellphones more than a decade ago.
同時，該項研究還備受爭議，因爲研究者一開始就研究對象就是已經患上癌症的病人，並且要求病人回憶在最近十年中使用的頻率。
In about 30 other studies done in Europe, New Zealand and the U.S., patients with brain tumors have not reported using their cellphones more often than unaffected people.
大概有30份其他的研究是在歐洲、新西蘭和美國所完成的，患有神經膠質瘤的病人並沒有表示他們比沒有患病的人使用手機的頻率高。
Because cellphones are so popular, it may be impossible for experts to compare cellphone users who develop brain tumors with people who don't use the devices. According to a survey last year, the number of cellphone subscribers worldwide has hit 5 billion, or nearly three-quarters of the global population.
因爲手機的使用過於廣泛，以至於專家們難以將使用手機而又患有神經膠質瘤的人與那些不使用這種通信設備的人的情況進行比較。據一份去年的調查研究稱，全球的手機用戶總數已經達到了50億之多，也就是將近地球人口中的四分三都在使用手機。
People's cellphone habits have also changed dramatically since the first studies began years ago and it's unclear if the results of previous research would still apply today.
第一份使用手機的研究問世於幾年以前，不過在那之後，人們使用手機的習慣發生了巨大的改變，所以之前研究的結果在現今是否還具有意義，這一點尚不清楚。
Since many cancerous tumors take decades to develop, experts say it's impossible to conclude cellphones have no long-term health risks. The studies conducted so far haven't tracked people for longer than about a decade.
因爲很多癌症腫瘤需要幾十年的時間來形成，所以有專家稱很難斷定長期使用手機所帶來的健康危害。目前的這些研究對於目標羣體的跟蹤調查均未超過10年的時間。
Cellphones send signals to nearby towers via radio frequency waves, a form of energy similar to FM radio waves and microwaves. But the radiation produced by cellphones cannot directly damage DNA and is different from stronger types of radiation like X-rays or ultraviolet light. At very high levels, radio frequency waves from cellphones can heat up body tissue, but that is not believed to damage human cells.
手機黨工作原理是這樣的：它會發射出射頻電波，將手機信號發送到最近的信號塔上。不過由手機所產生的輻射並不能直接對DNA產生危害，並與X射線、紫外線遮陽高強度的輻射不同。只有在手機信號非常強烈的時候，纔會對於人體的組織加熱，但是這也不足以怕壞人體細胞。
According to Cancer Research U.K., the only health danger firmly connected to cellphones is a higher risk of car accidents. The group recommends children under 16 only use cellphones for essential calls because their brains and nervous systems are still developing.
Also, a recent U.S. National Institutes of Health study found that cellphone use can speed up brain activity, but it is unknown whether that has any dangerous health effects.
據英國癌症研究中心稱，唯一與使用手機有確鑿的練習的健康危險是，因爲開車時使用手機而引發的車禍。這家機構建議16歲以下的少年只有在非常情況之下才使用手機，因爲他們的大腦以及神經系統仍處於發育階段。同時，美國國立衛生研究院在最近研究發現，使用手機會加快大腦的活動，此外還上不清楚有任何危害健康的影響。
