平治車廠與 Factorial 合作開發固態電池

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Mercedes teams up with Factorial to develop solid-state batteries

Nick Carey

Tue, September 10, 2024 at 5:06 a.m. PDT·2 min read

LONDON (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz and U.S. battery startup Factorial are working on a solid-state battery that should dramatically increase electric vehicle range and be ready for production by the end of the decade, the companies said on Tuesday.

The new battery, dubbed Solstice, should extend EV range about 80% above today's average, with an energy density of 450 Watt-hours per kilogram, the companies said in a statement.

Solid-state batteries have been billed as a game-changing technology for EVs, as they should reduce fire risk and allow for lighter, lower-cost cars than can travel further on a single charge.

But they have proven harder than expected for major automakers and battery making partners to develop at scale.

Auto groups are urgently seeking ways to cut costs and boost EV range as sales have stagnated in Europe in particular.

Factorial has already developed a quasi-solid-state battery that automakers including Mercedes are testing and should be in EVs on the road in 2026.

Mercedes has invested in Factorial, which raised $200 million in 2022, alongside rivals Stellantis and Hyundai.

Factorial developed quasi-solid-state batteries first because they can use similar production lines to conventional lithium-ion batteries, meaning they can scale up faster, CEO Siyu Huang told Reuters.

In a solid-state battery, the liquid electrolyte through which the electrical charge passes should be replaced with a solid substitute, reducing fire risk and shrinking battery pack size.

Huang said that solid-state batteries would not require expensive, heavy cooling systems needed for today's battery packs, allowing automakers to further reduce costs.

"We're not just focused on the cost of (battery) cell, but the cost of the overall vehicle," she said.

The challenges of developing solid-state batteries include poor performance in cold weather and the battery pack's tendency to expand.

Mercedes Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer told Reuters that Factorial's solid-state batteries could provide a 40% improvement in energy density over the German premium automaker's high performance batteries today.

This would enable Mercedes to either significantly reduce EV battery pack size - batteries are an EV's most expensive and heaviest component - or provide long-range electric cars for those who want them.

He added that lighter batteries would allow Mercedes to use steel for EV bodies instead of far more expensive and carbon intensive high-strength aluminum.

Mercedes is also working with Taiwanese battery maker ProLogium, in which it has invested, on solid-state batteries and is researching high-silicon anodes as an alternative solution to increase EV battery density.

 "There are some challenges that you have to get under control, but ... we have great engineering solutions to address them," Schaefer said, adding that he believed Factorial's goal of developing Solstice at scale by the end of the decade was realistic.

 (Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Mark Potter)

Translation

倫敦（路透社）—平治和美國電池新創公司Factorial 週二表示，它們正在開發一種固態電池，這種電池將大幅增加電動車的續航里程，並在本世紀二十年代末之前準備好投入生產。

兩家公司在聲明中表示，這款名為 Solstice 的新型電池將使電動車的續航里程比目前的平均水平提高約 80%，能量密度為每公斤 450 瓦時。

固態電池被認為是電動車的改變遊戲規則的技術，因為它們可以降低火災風險，並允許汽車更輕、成本更低，一次充電可以行駛更遠的距離。

但事實證明，對於主要汽車製造商和電池製造合作夥伴來說，大規模開發比預期更加困難。

由於歐洲的銷售停滯不前，汽車集團正在緊急尋求削減成本和提高電動車續航里程的方法。

Factorial 已經開發出一種準固態電池，包括平治在內的汽車製造商正在測試該電池，預計將於 2026 年應用於電動車。 

平治向Factorial投資, 在2022年它集資了2 億美元，與該公司一起競爭的對手包括 Stellantis 和現代。

Factorial執行長Siyu Huang告訴路透社，他們首先開發了準固態電池，因為這生產線可以使用於傳統鋰離子電池類，這意味著它們可以更快地擴大規模。

在固態電池中，被電荷通過的液體電解質會被替換為固體替代品，以降低火災風險並縮小電池組尺寸。

Huang說，固態電池不需要當今電池組所需的昂貴、重型冷卻系統，使汽車製造商能夠進一步降低成本。

她說:「我們不僅關注（電池）電的成本，還關注整部車的成本」。

開發固態電池面臨的挑戰包括寒冷天氣下的性能不佳以及電池組容易膨脹。

平治首席技術長 Markus Schaefer 告訴路透社，與這家德國高端汽車製造商目前的高性能電池相比，Factial 的固態電池可將能量密度提高 40%。

這將使平治能夠顯著減小電動車電池組的尺寸（電池是電動車最昂貴和最重的部件），可為有需要的人提供遠程電動車。

他補充說，更輕的電池將使平治能夠在電動車身上使用鋼，而不是更昂貴且碳密集的高強度鋁。

平治也與其投資的台灣電池製造商ProLogium合作開發固態電池，並正在研究高矽陽極, 作為提高電動車電池密度的替代解決方案。

Schaefer 表示：「有些挑戰必須得到控制，但…我們有出色的工程解決方案來處理這些挑戰。」他補充說，他相信 Factorial 在本世紀二十年代末之前去大規模開發 Solstice 的目標是可實現的。

              So, Mercedes-Benz and U.S. battery startup Factorial are working on a solid-state battery that could dramatically increase electric vehicle range and be ready for production by the end of the decade. If they are successful, they will revolutionize the making of EVs.

美國法案針對香港貿易辦事處，引起香港政府的憤怒

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

US bill targets Hong Kong trade offices, drawing ire from city's government

By Jessie Pang

September 10, 20248:22 PM PDT Updated 4 days ago

HONG KONG, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that could lead to the closure of Hong Kong's economic and trade offices in the country, drawing condemnation from the government in the Chinese-ruled city.

The bipartisan Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act would allow the U.S. president to remove the privileges and immunities of the trade offices in Washington D.C., New York, and San Francisco if they are not running with a "high degree of autonomy" from China and for other purposes.

Under the Act if it's found that the HKETOs no longer merits such privileges and immunities, they must terminate operations in the United States no later than 180 days after the certification is delivered to Congress.

The bill was passed overwhelmingly by 413 to 3 on Tuesday. The legislation must pass the U.S. Senate before it can be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

The Hong Kong government said in a statement on Wednesday that it "strongly condemned" the U.S. House for making use of the Act "to slander laws on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong and smear the human rights situation in Hong Kong".

"The US House of Representatives' fact-twisting attack on Hong Kong is politically driven, violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and grossly interferes in the affairs of Hong Kong," the statement said.

Hong Kong has 14 HKETOs overseas, including in Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada. In May, Britain arrested and charged three men, including a manager of HKETOs in the UK on suspicion of assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service.

Republican Representative Chris Smith, chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, told a hearing on Tuesday that the legislation is "a necessary next step in tangibly demonstrating our solidarity with the persecuted citizens of Hong Kong", including jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, activist Joshua Wong and human rights lawyer Tonyee Chow.

Anna Kwok, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, who the government has issued a HK$1 million ($128,000) bounty on the suspicion of national security offences, said "the bill serves as a much-needed response to hold the Hong Kong government accountable for their blatant human-rights abuses".

Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after months of sometimes violent pro-democracy protests that swept the city in 2019. Hong Kong passed an additional new national security law, also known as Article 23, in March.

The China and Hong Kong governments have said the security laws are necessary for restoring stability to the city.

According to the Security Bureau, more than 300 people have been arrested under the national security law.

Translation

路透社香港9月11日 - 美國眾議院通過了一項可能導致香港駐香港經濟貿易辦事處關閉的法案，此舉引起了香港政府的譴責。

兩黨簽署的《香港經濟貿易辦事處（HKETO）認證法案》將允許美國總統取消其華盛頓特區、紐約和舊金山貿易辦事處的特權和豁免權，如果它們因中國或出於其他理由沒有“高度自治” 地運作。

根據該法案，如果發現香港經貿辦不再值得此類特權和豁免權，經貿辦必須在國會提交證明後180天內, 終止在美國的業務。

週二，該法案以 413 比 3 的壓倒性優勢獲得通過。在送交總統拜登簽署成為法律前, 該立法必須在美國參議院獲得通過。

香港政府週三發表聲明稱，「強烈譴責」美國眾議院利用該法案「污衊香港維護國家安全的法律，抹黑香港的人權狀況」。

聲明稱，“美國會眾院對香港的歪曲事實攻擊是出於政治目的，違反國際法和國際關係基本準則，粗暴干涉香港事務”。

香港在海外設有14個經貿辦，包括英國、德國、澳洲和加拿大。 5月，英國逮捕並指控三名男子，包括香港駐英國經貿辦的一名經理，罪名是涉嫌協助香港以外的情報部門。

美國國會及行政部門中國委員會主席、共和黨眾議員Chris Smith在周二的聽證會上表示，這項立法是“必要的下一步，以切實表明我們對受迫害的香港公民的聲援”，其中包括被監禁的媒體大亨黎智英, 活動人士黃之鋒和人權律師Tonyee Chow。

香港民主委員會執行董事Anna Kwok因涉嫌危害國家安全罪被政府懸賞 100 萬港元（合 128,000 美元），她表示：「該法案是去遏制香港政府的必要回應。他們要對公然侵犯人權的行為負責」。

在2019 年席捲香港的民主抗議活動持續數月、有時甚至是有暴力之後，北京於2020 年對香港實施了國家安全法。 香港三月又通過了一項新的國家安全法，又稱為第 23 條。

中國和香港政府表示，安全法對於恢復香港的穩定是必要的。

據保安局稱，已有300多人根據國家安全法被捕。

              So, the U.S. has passed a bill that could lead to the closure of Hong Kong's economic and trade offices in the country, drawing condemnation from the Hong Kong government. I am wondering how will the HK government respond to this act which in their mind “violates international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and grossly interferes in the affairs of Hong Kong”.

Russia's National Research Institute Reports 'No Concerns' in Treated Water in an Independent Survey

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

ロシアの国立研究機関が独自調査で処理水「懸念なし」報告書

2024年9月5日 21時05分

ロシアの国立研究機関は、東京電力福島第一原発にたまる処理水の海への放出を受けて日本周辺の海水を調査した結果、海水に含まれる放射性物質の量は基準値を大幅に下回っていたとする報告書を公表しました。

日本側は「独自の調査で安全を確認する動きが出てきたことを歓迎したい」として、引き続きロシア側に対し日本産水産物の輸入規制の撤廃を求めていく方針です。

福島第一原発にたまるトリチウムなどの放射性物質を含む処理水の海への放出を受けて、ロシアは、去年10月から日本産の水産物の輸入を規制しています。

こうした中、ロシア極東のウラジオストクにあるロシア科学アカデミー極東支部太平洋海洋学研究所は、周辺の太平洋、オホーツク海、それに日本海で、処理水の放出が始まる前のおととしから独自に行ってきた海水の調査結果を8月30日、公表しました。

それによりますと、含まれるトリチウムは平均で1リットルあたりおよそ0.12ベクレルで、ロシアの安全基準の7700ベクレルを大幅に下回り、「懸念すべきレベルではない」としています。

日本周辺の海の魚介類についても「何の疑いもなく食べられる。心配する根拠は、いまのところない」と指摘しています。

在ロシア日本大使館は、NHKの取材に対し、報告書の内容を確認したとしたうえで、「これまでロシア側に科学的なデータを提供してきたが、独自の調査によって安全を確認する動きが出てきたことを歓迎したい」として、引き続きロシア側に対し日本産水産物の輸入規制の撤廃を求めていく方針を示しました。

Translation

A Russian national research institute had published a report stating that the amount of radioactive material in seawater around Japan was significantly below the standard value after investigating the seawater following the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea.

Japan said it "welcomes the move to confirm safety through independent investigations" and planned to continue to ask Russia to lift the import restrictions on Japanese seafood.

In response to the release of treated water containing radioactive materials such as tritium from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea, Russia had restricted the import of Japanese seafood since October last year.

Against this backdrop, on August 30th, the Pacific Oceanographic Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Vladivostok, Russian Far East, published the results of its own investigation of seawater in the surrounding Pacific Ocean, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and the Sea of ​​Japan that it had been conducting since last year, before the release of treated water began.

According to the report, the average level of tritium was about 0.12 becquerels per liter, well below the Russian safety standard of 7,700 becquerels, and said that it was "not at a level of concern."

The report also stated that seafood from the seas around Japan "can be eaten without any doubt. There is currently no reason to be concerned."

In response to an NHK interview, the Japanese Embassy in Russia said it had confirmed the contents of the report, and stated that "We have all along provided Russia with scientific data, but we welcome the move to confirm safety through independent investigations," and indicated that it would continue to urge Russia to lift its import restrictions on Japanese seafood products.

So, a Russian institute has published a report stating that the amount of radioactive material in seawater around Japan was significantly below the standard value following the release of treated water by Japan. Japan has indicated that it would continue to urge Russia to lift its import restrictions on Japanese seafood products based on scientific evidence. I think Japan is also urging China to do the same thing.

馬來西亞總理表示，儘管中國抗議，不會停止南海勘探

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Malaysia will not stop South China Sea exploration despite China protests, PM says

Reuters

Wed, September 4, 2024 at 10:04 p.m. PDT·2 min read

(Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday the country will not stop its oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea despite claims by Beijing that Malaysia was infringing on its territory.

Anwar, speaking from Russia where he is on an official trip, said Malaysia's exploration activities were within its territory and were not intended to be provocative or hostile towards China, with whom it has friendly relations.

"Of course, we will have to operate in our waters and secure economic advantage, including drilling for oil, in our territory," Anwar said in a televised press conference in Vladivostok.

"We have never denied the possibility of discussion (with China). But it doesn't mean we have to stop the operation in our area."

Malaysia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it would investigate the leak of a classified diplomatic note from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

In the note, which was carried by a Philippine news outlet, Beijing asserted that Malaysia's oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea breached its territory.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, complicating energy exploration efforts by several of those countries.

Under international law, an EEZ does not denote sovereignty, but grants a country sovereign rights to extract natural resources from those waters.

Malaysian state energy firm Petronas, or Petroliam Nasional Berhad, operates oil and gas fields in the South China Sea within Malaysia's EEZ and has in recent years had several encounters with Chinese vessels.

Anwar said China has sent "one or two" protest notes to stop Malaysia's oil exploration activities, without specifying details, but stressed that the government would continue to explain to Beijing its position.

"We have said that we will not transgress other people's borders. That is our stringent policy and principles," he said.

"They know our position.... They have claimed that we are infringing on their territory. That is not the case. We say no, it is our territory."

"But if they continue with the dispute, then okay, we will have to listen, and they will have to listen."

An international arbitration tribunal in The Hague in 2016 ruled China's claim to about 90% of the South China Sea, made via a U-shaped "nine-dash line" on its maps, had no basis under international law, a decision Beijing does not recognise.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Danial Azhar in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by John Mair, Martin Petty)

Translation

（路透社） - 馬來西亞總理安華週四表示，儘管北京聲稱馬來西亞侵犯了其領土，但該國不會停止在南中國海的石油和天然氣勘探。

安華在俄羅斯進行正式訪問時表示，馬來西亞的勘探活動是在其領土內進行的，無意挑釁或敵視關係友好的中國。

安華在海參崴舉行的電視新聞發布會上表示：“當然，我們必須在我們的水域開展業務並確保經濟優勢，包括在我們的領土上鑽探石油。”

「我們從未否認（與中國）進行討論的可能性。但這並不意味著我們必須停止在我們地區的行動」。

馬來西亞外交部週三表示，將調查一份來自中國外交部機密外交照會被外洩的事件。

在菲律賓一家新聞媒體刊登的這份照會中，北京聲稱馬來西亞在南海的石油和天然氣勘探侵犯了其領土。

中國聲稱對幾乎整個南海擁有主權，其中包括菲律賓、汶萊、馬來西亞、台灣和越南的部分200海裡專屬經濟區（EEZ），這使得其中幾個國家的能源勘探工作變得更加複雜。

根據國際法，專屬經濟區並不代表主權，而是授予一個國家從這些水域開採自然資源的主權權利。

馬來西亞國家能源公司Petronas即馬來西亞國家石油公司（Petroliam Nasional Berhad）在馬來西亞專屬經濟區內的南中國海營運油氣田，近年來與中國船隻發生了數次相遇。

安華表示，中國已發出「一至兩份」抗議照會，要求馬來西亞停止石油勘探活動，但沒有具體說明細節，但強調政府將繼續向北京解釋其立場。

他說「我們說過，我們不會越過別人的邊界。這是我們嚴格的政策和原則」。

“他們知道我們的立場……他們聲稱我們侵犯了他們的領土。事實並非如此。我們說不，這是我們的領土。”

“但如果他們繼續爭論，那麼好吧，我們將需要傾聽，他們也將需要傾聽。”

2016 年，海牙的一個國際仲裁庭裁定，中國透過地圖上 U 形「九段線」提出的對南海約 90% 海域的主權主張沒有國際法依據，但北京並未承認這一仲裁決定。

So, Malaysia says that the country will not stop its oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea despite claims by Beijing that Malaysia is infringing on China’s territory. The crux of the dispute is that an international arbitration tribunal in 2016 has already ruled that China's claim to about 90% of the South China Sea has no legal basis. Beijing does not recognize this tribunal decision.

南海：為何北京對越南採取低調態度，但對菲律賓卻不然 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

South China Sea: why Beijing takes a low-key approach to Vietnam but not the Philippines (2/2)

South China Morning Post - Alyssa Chen

Tue, September 3, 2024 at 2:30 a.m. PDT·8 min read

(continue)

According to an associate professor in Guangzhou, who specialises in the South China Sea and asked to remain anonymous, Manila's closeness to the US, the "collective effort to intimidate China" and its willingness to support Washington's stance on Taiwan was "intolerable" to Beijing.

Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Most countries, including the US and Philippines, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force and is legally bound to arm the island to help it defend itself.

The academic said Beijing now felt forced to leverage the South China Sea dispute to put pressure on Manila. 

"Unlike other nations that engage frequently in joint military exercises with forces outside the region, Vietnam has been notably restrained in colluding with extra-regional powers," the associate professor added.

Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said Beijing may want to discourage other South China Sea claimants from following the Philippine lead.

"[China] feels that pushing back hard against the Marcos government is useful to teach other countries a lesson about aligning too closely with the US," he said.

Harrison Pretat, a maritime affairs expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said: "It is likely that some amount of the pressure Beijing has applied to Manila's maritime activities has been an attempt to test US-Philippine unity and raise doubts in the Philippines about the usefulness of the alliance."

But he also said that it may be worried that taking a tough approach to the Philippines and Vietnam at the same time could "strain its resources and amount to an untenable level of risk".

Pham, from the South China Sea Chronicle Initiative, said: "Missteps in exerting pressure on Vietnam will only drive Vietnam closer to the US and other regional powers, complicating China's strategic calculations in the South China Sea."

Pretat also said Vietnam "prefers to manage maritime tensions with Beijing quietly and is unlikely to follow in Manila's footsteps", adding that the Philippines has tried to "internationalise" the dispute.

In 2016 it took a case to an international tribunal in The Hague, which rejected Beijing's claims over the waterway, and it is now considering another lawsuit alleging that China has caused environmental damage in the waterway.

China refused to take part in the 2016 hearings and has never accepted the findings.

Ding Duo, from the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Hainan, said Manila tended to "escalate the issue as much as possible" but "high-level officials and leaders in Vietnam rarely talk about the dispute internationally or point their fingers at China".

But Zhu Feng, executive dean of Nanjing University's school of international studies, said the "potential threats posed by Vietnam's island-building have not been completely eliminated".

Zhu added: "Such activities could become a new flashpoint in the bilateral relationship if there is a substantial change or escalation."

According to Ding, Beijing's different approach towards the two countries stemmed from the fact that Vietnam was building "on features it has controlled since the 1970s and 1980s, while Beijing views Manila's efforts as an attempt to take over previously uninhabited features or those under Chinese control, such as Scarborough Shoal".

Ding said Beijing may think Manila's actions were "unacceptable" and not in line with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

This non-binding guideline signed by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2002 says countries should not establish a presence on uninhabited islands or reefs and should exercise self-restraint.

In 2013 China embarked on a major island-building programme of its own in the Spratly Islands, and also built up both civilian and military infrastructure in the South China Sea, including runways, radar stations and accommodation for troops.

All this construction happened on features that Beijing already controlled and state media has defended its actions as "lawful and justified".

Pham said the key to China's approach was "divide and rule tactics" because it wanted to forestall any collective resistance among claimant states to maintain its dominance in the South China Sea.

However, Cooper warned, tough measures from Beijing could not be ruled out in the future, "if more substantial military forces start being deployed more regularly to those [Vietnamese] features".

Translation

（繼續）

廣州一位專門研究南海問題、要求匿名的副教授表示，馬尼拉與美國的親密關係、「集體恐嚇中國」以及支持華盛頓在台灣問題上立場的意願，對北京來說是「無法容忍的」 。

北京將台灣視為其領土的一部分，必須與大陸重新統一，必要時可以使用武力。

包括美國和菲律賓在內的大多數國家都不承認台灣是一個獨立國家，但華盛頓反對任何以武力奪取台灣島的企圖，並有法律義務武裝台灣島以幫助其自衛。

這位學者表示，北京現在感到被迫利用南海爭端向馬尼拉施加壓力。

這位副教授補充說：“越南與其他經常與域外勢力進行聯合軍事演習的國家不同，越南在與域外大國勾結方面明顯有自我約制。”

美國企業研究所高級研究員Zack Cooper表示，北京可能希望阻止其他南海聲索國效仿菲律賓的做法。

他說：“（中國）認為，強力反擊馬可斯政府有助於給其他國家一個關於與美國過於密切結盟的教訓。”

戰略與國際研究中心海事專家Harrison Pretat表示：「北京對馬尼拉海事活動施加一定程度的壓力，很可能是為了考驗美菲團結，並引發對菲律賓對該聯盟的有用性的懷疑」。

但他也表示，北京可能擔心同時對菲律賓和越南採取強硬態度可能會「導致其資源緊張並導致難以承受的風險」。

南海紀事倡議組織的Pham表示：“對越南施加壓力如產生失誤只會讓越南與美國和其他地區大國走得更近，使中國在南海的戰略算盤變得更加複雜。”

Pretat還表示，越南 “更願意悄悄地處理與北京的海上緊張局勢，不太可能步馬尼拉的後塵” ，並補充說菲律賓已試圖將爭端 “國際化” 。

2016年，菲律賓向海牙國際法庭提起訴訟，該法庭駁回了北京對這條航道的主張，目前正在考慮提起另一起訴訟，指控中國對該航道造成了環境破壞。

中國拒絕參加2016年的聽證會，也從未接受調查結果。

海南南海研究院的Ding Duo表示，馬尼拉傾向於“盡可能升級問題”，但“越南高層和領導人很少在國際上談論這一爭端，也很少將矛頭指向中國” 。

但南京大學國際關係學院執行院長Zhu Feng表示，「越南造島造成的潛在威脅尚未完全消除」。

Zhu補充說： “如果出現實質性變化或升級，此類活動可能成為雙邊關係新的爆發點。”

Ding表示，北京對兩國的不同態度源於這樣一個事實：越南只在「自1970年代和1980年代以來在其控制的地物上進行建設，而北京則認為馬尼拉的努力是試圖接管以前無人居住或在中國控制下的地物，例如黃岩島」。

Ding表示，北京可能認為馬尼拉的行為 “不可接受” ，不符合《南海各方行為宣言》。

中國和東南亞國家聯盟於2002年簽署的這份不具約束力的準則稱，各國不應在無人島礁上存在，並應實行自我克制。

2013年，中國在南沙群島啟動了自己的大型島嶼建設計劃，還在南海建設了民用和軍事基礎設施，包括跑道、雷達站和部隊住所。

所有這些依地貎建設都發生在北京已經控制的地區，官方媒體辯稱其行為「合法合理」。

Pham表示，中國做法的關鍵是「分而治之」的策略，因為它希望阻止聲索國之間為維持其在南海的主導地位而進行集體抵抗。

然而，Cooper警告說，“如果更多的軍事力量開始更並頻繁地部署到這些（越南）地物上”，未來不排除北京採取強硬措施的可能性。

So, this article looks at the differences in China's response to its maritime disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam. China's response to Vietnam's rapid expansion of its land reclamation in the Spratly Islands has been muted so far - a stark contrast to Beijing's increasingly assertive response to the Philippines. It is interesting to note that in 2016 the Philippines took this maritime dispute to an international tribunal which rejected Beijing's claims over the waterway. China refuses to take part in this  hearing and has never accepted the tribunal’s findings.

南海：為何北京對越南採取低調態度，但對菲律賓卻不然 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

South China Sea: why Beijing takes a low-key approach to Vietnam but not the Philippines (1/2)

South China Morning Post - Alyssa Chen

Tue, September 3, 2024 at 2:30 a.m. PDT·8 min read

 

The South China Sea is claimed by almost every country in the region but its ripple effects are felt well beyond the fiercely contested waterway. In the first of a three-part series, Alyssa Chen looks at the differences in China's response to its maritime disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam.

China's response to Vietnam's rapid expansion of its land reclamation in the Spratly Islands has been muted so far - a stark contrast to Beijing's increasingly assertive response to the Philippines.

While there have been several clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels around disputed South China Sea reefs in recent months, there are no recorded instances of Beijing trying to stop Vietnam's activities.

Analysts said the different approaches were down to a number of factors, including the political relationship between China and Vietnam, the latter's low-key approach and the alliance between the Philippines and the United States.

But they did not rule out a tougher approach from Beijing in the future and said the issue could still cause problems.

Satellite images published by the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies have shown the unprecedented pace and scale of the land reclamation efforts around the islands and reefs Vietnam controls since 2021.

In May the Beijing-based Grandview Institution published an assessment of the US satellite images, saying that, as of November last year, Vietnam had added "3 sq km (1.2 sq miles) of new land, far exceeding the total construction scale over the previous 40 years".

In June, the US think tank said Vietnam was "on pace for a record year of island building in 2024", calculating that its land holdings covered seven times the area they did three years ago.

Beijing is certainly concerned by Hanoi's actions - which mirror its own decade-long drive to build artificial reefs and facilities in the areas it controls - and it has periodically issued threats to its Vietnamese partners, according to Isaac Kardon, a senior fellow for China studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

However, their growing closeness on security matters has "downgraded the issue in their bilateral diplomacy".

"China is pursuing a different type of bilateral relationship with its southern neighbour characterised by increasingly close [Communist] party-to-party ties and mutual commitment to keep their maritime disputes from displacing their wider cooperation," Kardon added.

Last month, during the visit to China by Vietnam's new leader To Lam, the two sides agreed to try to solve the dispute through "friendly consultations" and said there was a "high-level" consensus on the need to maintain peace and stability in the region.

Van Pham, founder of the South China Sea Chronicle Initiative, a Vietnam-based think tank, said Beijing wanted to work with Vietnam on infrastructure projects, including railways, and wanted its support for projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative.

"These economic connections serve as a buffer against outright hostility, encouraging China to adopt more restrained tactics," Pham said.

Ray Powell, a maritime specialist at Stanford University, said Hanoi had taken advantage of China's focus on the dispute with the Philippines to accelerate its island-building campaign.

"Hanoi has, in choosing this moment, opportunistically stolen a march on Beijing in the South China Sea," Powell said, adding that China might have paid more attention to Vietnam's activities if the Philippines had been more "compliant".

Instead, the Philippines has also been quick to highlight clashes by releasing video footage of collisions and China's use of water cannons, as well as giving maximum publicity to incidents such as a clash in which Philippine sailors, one of whom lost a thumb, were allegedly attacked by coastguard personnel armed with knives and machetes.

These incidents have led to public condemnation of China's actions from a variety of foreign governments and forced Beijing to defend its stance and try to avoid reputational damage.

Analysts also said the long-standing US-Philippine alliance and President Ferdinand Macros Jnr's efforts to strengthen the relationship with Washington were another factor in Beijing's thinking.

Last year the two allies revived a defensive pact that granted the US access to four additional bases close to strategic hotspots such as Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The Philippines has also stepped up joint exercises, both with the US and countries such as Japan, Canada and Australia.

(to be continued)

Translation

該地區幾乎所有國家都聲稱對南海擁有主權，但其連鎖反應遠遠超出了這條爭議激烈的航道。在這個由三部分組成的系列文章的第一部分中，Alyssa Chen探討了中國對與菲律賓和越南的海上爭端的反應差異。

迄今為止，中國對越南在南沙群島快速擴張填海造島活動的反應一直比較低調，這與北京對菲律賓日益強硬的反應形成鮮明對比。

儘管近幾個月來中國和菲律賓船隻在有爭議的南海島礁附近發生了幾起衝突，但沒有記錄顯示北京試圖阻止越南的活動。

分析家表示，造成這種做法不同的因素很多，包括中國和越南之間的政治關係、越南的低調做法以及菲律賓和美國之間的聯盟。

但他們不排除北京未來採取更強硬的態度，並表示這件事仍可能引發問題。

總部位於華盛頓的戰略與國際研究中心亞洲海事透明度倡議組織 發布的衛星圖像顯示，自 2021 年以來，越南控制的島嶼和礁石周圍的填海造地活動的速度和規模前所未有。

總部位於北京的Grandview研究院5月發佈了對美國衛星圖像的評估，稱截至去年11月，越南新增“3平方公里（1.2平方英里）的土地，遠遠超過了越南過去40年的總新建規模” 。

6 月，美國智庫表示，越南 “預計在 2024 年迎來創紀錄的島嶼建設年份” ，計算出其土地面積是三年前的七倍。

在卡內基國際和平基金會的中國研究高級研究員Isaac Kardon 表示，北京當然對河內的行動感到擔憂 - 這反映它模仿了中國長達十年在其控制區域建造人工礁和設施的努力 - 並且它定期向越南作出威脅。

然而，他們在安全問題上日益密切的關係「降低了雙邊外交爭議」。

Kardon補充說： “中國正在與這南方鄰國尋求一種不同類型的雙邊關係，其特點是[共產]黨與黨關係正日益密切，並共同致力於防止海上爭端損害更廣泛的合作。”

上個月，在越南新領導人To Lam訪華期間，雙方同意努力透過「友好協商」解決爭端，並表示就維護越南和平與穩定的必要性達成了「高層」共識。

越南智庫南海紀事倡議創辦人Van Pham表示，北京希望與越南在鐵路等基礎建設項目上合作，並希望越南支持「一帶一路」倡議等項目。

Van說： “這些經濟聯繫可以緩衝公開的敵意，鼓勵中國採取更加克制的策略。”

史丹佛大學海事專家Ray Powell表示，河內利用中國對與菲律賓爭端的關注來加速其造島行動。

Powell表示： “河內選擇這個時機，是在南海趁機搶了北京的先機。” 他補充說，如果菲律賓更加“順從”，中國可能會更加關注越南的活動。

相反，菲律賓也迅速發佈了碰撞影片和中國使用高壓水槍的影片片段，並最大限度地宣傳了一些事件，例如據稱菲律賓水手遭到持刀和砍刀的海岸警衛隊人員襲擊（其中一名水手失去了一根拇指）在衝突中受傷的事件。

這些事件導致多個外國政府公開譴責中國的行為，並迫使北京捍衛自己的立場, 並盡力避免聲譽受損。

分析人士還表示，長期存在的美菲聯盟, 以及小馬可斯總統加強與華盛頓關係的努力是北京考慮的另一個因素。

去年，這兩個盟國恢復了一項防禦協議，允許美國使用靠近戰略熱點例如台灣和南海等的四個額外基地。

菲律賓也加強了與美國以及日本、加拿大和澳洲等國的聯合演習。

（待續）

香港編輯因煽動叛亂罪被判罪成, 打擊新聞自由

Recently thejapantimes.co.jp reported the following:

Hong Kong editors convicted of sedition in blow to press freedom

By Tiffany May

The New York Times – thejapantimes

Aug 30, 2024

HONG KONG – The two veterans of Hong Kong’s long boisterous news media scene didn’t shy away from publishing pro-democracy voices on their Stand News site, even as China cranked up its national security clampdown to silence critics in the city.

Then the police came knocking and, more than 2½ years later, a judge Thursday convicted the two journalists — the former editor-in-chief of Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen, and his successor, Patrick Lam — of conspiring to publish seditious materials on the now-defunct liberal news outlet. Both face potential prison sentences.

The landmark ruling highlighted how far press freedom has shrunk in the city, where local news outlets already self-censor to survive and some foreign news organizations have left or moved out staff amid increasing scrutiny from authorities.

During the trial, prosecutors characterized news articles and opinion pieces published by the two as biased against the government and a threat to national security. The articles were similar to those Stand News had been publishing for years. But after authorities crushed protests that rocked the city in 2019, China imposed a national security law, and tolerance for dissent in the city’s freewheeling media began to evaporate.

The two editors have maintained their innocence. Chung said in his court testimony that they were operating within journalistic principles, to deliver stories with news value and of public interest.

In his ruling, the judge in the case, Kwok Wai-kin, wrote that it was necessary to balance freedom of speech "with the prevention of the potential damage wrought by incendiary publications.” Kwok is one of the judges hand-picked by Hong Kong’s chief executive to hear national security cases.

The two editors, who both spent almost a year in prison after their arrests, had their bail extended pending sentencing expected in late September. Lam did not attend Thursday’s hearing because of health issues, his lawyer said.

The Stand News journalists were charged in 2021 under a British colonial-era sedition law, which carries a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison. But Hong Kong’s new national security law introduced this year increased the maximum sentence for sedition to seven years — and 10, if an "external force” was involved. It replaced the sedition law.

Translation

香港  -  儘管中國加大了國家安全打壓力度，以壓制香港的批評者，但兩位長期活躍在香港新聞媒體界的資深人士並沒有迴避在他們的《立場新聞 》網站上發表支持民主的聲音。

之後警察來敲門，2.5年後，法官週四判定這兩名記者 -《立場新聞》前主編鐘沛權和他的繼任者林紹桐 - 密謀在現已停刊的自由派新聞媒體上發表煽動性材料罪名成立。兩人都可能面臨牢獄之災。

這項具有里程碑意義的裁決突顯了該市新聞自由的嚴重縮減程度，當地新聞媒體已經為了生存而進行自我審查，一些外國新聞機構在當局加強審查的情況下已經離開香港或遷出其工作人員。

在審判期間，檢察官將兩人發表的新聞文章和評論文章定性為對政府有偏見並對國家安全構成威脅。這些文章與《立場新聞 》多年來發表的文章相似。但在當局鎮壓了 2019 年震撼該市的抗議活動後，中國實施了國家安全法，該市對自由運作的媒體的異議的容忍開始消失。

兩位編輯堅稱自己是清白的。鐘在法庭證詞中表示，他們依照新聞原則運作，提供具有新聞價值和公眾利益的故事。

該案法官郭偉健在裁決中寫道，有必要「平衡言論自由與防止煽動性出版物造成的潛在損害」。郭是香港行政長官親自挑選審理國家安全案件的法官之一。

這兩名編輯被捕後都在監獄裡度過了近一年的時間，他們的保釋期延長了至九月下旬以等待預計中的判決。林紹桐的律師表示，林因健康問題未出席週四的聽證會。

《立場新聞》記者於 2021 年受到指控, 是根據英國殖民時代的煽動叛亂法作出，最高可判處兩年監禁。但香港今年推出的新國家安全法將煽動叛亂罪的最高刑期提高至七年，如果涉及“外部勢力”，則最高刑期為十年。它取代了煽動叛亂法。

So, the Stand News journalists were charged in 2021 under a British colonial-era sedition law. In Hong Kong, after the authorities crushed protests that rocked the city in 2019, a national security law has been imposed, and tolerance for dissent in the city’s freewheeling media has gone. I am interested in knowing the outcome of this case as the ruling will highlight how far press freedom has shrunk in Hong Kong since 1997.

IBM to close R&D centers in China, local media reports

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米ＩＢＭ、中国の研究開発拠点を閉鎖へ　地元メディア報道

2024.08.28 Wed posted at 17:00 JST

 Tweet

香港（ＣＮＮ） 米ＩＢＭが中国にある研究開発拠点を閉鎖し、１０００人あまりの従業員を削減する方針であることがわかった。複数の中国メディアが伝えた。米中間の地政学的な緊張によって、グローバル企業の多くが世界２位の経済大国である中国での将来について再考するようになっている。

米中の関係は、人工知能（ＡＩ）やグリーンテクノロジーといった科学技術をめぐり、国の安全保障への懸念もあって悪化している。一部企業はひっそりと人材を削減したり、スタッフを異動させたりしている。

中国メディアの第一財経は２６日、ＩＢＭが中国全土で研究開発拠点を閉鎖すると報じた。この中には２５年前に開設された研究施設も含まれる。

ＩＢＭは２７日、ＣＮＮの取材に対し、声明で、顧客に対して最善のサービスを提供するために必要に応じて業務を調整しており、こうした変更は中華圏全体の顧客を支援する能力に影響しないと述べた。ただ、削減する人数や中国に研究用のスタッフを残すのかどうかについてはコメントしなかった。

別の中国メディアは、ＩＢＭ幹部が北京や上海、大連のスタッフが人員削減の影響を受けると発表したと伝えた。報道によれば、同幹部はスタッフに対し、ＩＢＭの中国でのインフラ事業は「下り坂」にあり、中国で行われている研究は他の研究所に移管されると伝えたという。

ＩＢＭの中国での歴史は長く、１９３４年には北京の病院に設備を納入していた。８４年には改革開放の動きにあわせ、大きな可能性を見いだして中国市場に再参入した。しかし、近年ではこうした熱気も冷めた。米中間の科学技術分野での競争は激しさを増し、米企業が中国市場で事業を行うことがだんだんと難しくなっている。

Translation

Hong Kong (CNN) IBM was planning to close its R&D centers in China and cut more than 1,000 employees, according to multiple Chinese media reports. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China were causing many global companies to rethink their future in China, the world's second-largest economy.

U.S.-China relations had worsened over science and technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and green technology, as well as national security concerns. Some companies were quietly cutting staff or transferring staff.

Chinese media First Finance reported on the 26th that IBM would close its R&D centers across China, including a research facility that opened 25 years ago.

IBM said in a statement to CNN on the 27th that it was adjusting operations as necessary to best serve its customers, and that these changes would not affect its ability to support customers across Greater China. It did not comment on the number of staff cuts or whether it would retain research staff in China.

Another Chinese media outlet reported that an IBM executive announced that staff in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian would be affected by the cuts. The executive reportedly told staff that IBM's infrastructure business in China was "on the decline" and that research being conducted there would be transferred to other labs.

IBM had a long history in China, having supplied equipment to a hospital in Beijing in 1934. In 1984, with the reform and opening-up movement, it re-entered the Chinese market, seeing great potential. However, in recent years, this enthusiasm had cooled. Competition between the United States and China in the field of science and technology was intensifying, to do business in the Chinese market was increasingly difficult for American companies.

              So, IBM is planning to close its R&D centers in China and cut more than 1,000 employees. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China are causing many global companies to rethink their future in China. Probably the moving out trend of overseas companies will continue unless the situation improves.

有研究表明，微小的塑膠碎片越來越多地滲入我們的大腦 (2/2)

Tiny shards of plastic are increasingly infiltrating our brains, study says (2/2)

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 2:50 PM EDT, Fri August 23, 2024

(continue)

In that report, the consortium determined plastics are associated with harms to human health at every single stage of the plastic lifecycle.

“Some microplastics are also airborne,” Landrigan said. “For example, when people are driving down the highway and their tires are abrading on the surface of the highway, a certain amount of microplastic particles are thrown into the air.

“If you live near the coast, some of the microplastic particles that are in the ocean get kicked into the air through wave action,” he said. “So ingestion is probably the dominant route, but inhalation is also an important route.”

Plastics with ties to cancer

Polyethylene, which is used in plastic bags, films and bottles and is not biodegradable, was the predominant type of plastic found in tissue samples. It was found in greater quantities in the brain than in the liver or kidney, according to the preprint.

Polyethylene was also the predominant type of polymer found in human and dog testicles, according to an August 2024 study by Campen and his team.

The production of various forms of polyethylene, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics, are the biggest contributor to the release of the solvent 1,4-dioxane into the environment, according to industry data collected by Defend our Health, an environmental advocacy group.

The US National Toxicity Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers 1,4-dioxane to be possibly carcinogenic to humans. In 2023, the EPA released a draft report saying that the solvent poses an “unreasonable risk of injury to health” for plastics workers and community residents whose drinking water has been polluted by discharges from PET plastics factories.

“The biggest question is, ‘OK, what are these particles doing to us?’ Honestly there’s a lot we still don’t know,” Landrigan said. “What we do know with real certainty is that these microplastic particles are like Trojan horses — they carry with them all the thousands of chemicals that are in plastics and some are very bad actors.”

By invading individual cells and tissues in major organs, nanoplastics can potentially interrupt cellular processes and deposit endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, heavy metals and per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS.

Endocrine disruptors interfere with the human reproductive system, leading to genital and reproductive malformations as well as female infertility and a decline in sperm count, according to the Endocrine Society.

“We have some pretty good indications that microplastics and nanoplastics cause harm, even though we are a long way from knowing the full extent of that harm,” Landrigan said. “I would say we have enough information here that we need to start taking protective action.”

Learn to use less plastic

There are many steps individuals can take to reduce their exposure to plastics and their plastic footprint, experts say.

“It’s hard to avoid foods wrapped in plastic film but be sure to take the food out of the plastic wrapping before you cook it or put it in the microwave,” Landrigan said. “When you heat plastic, that accelerates the movement of the microplastics out of the wrapping into the food.

Invest in a zippered fabric bag and ask the dry cleaner to return your clothes in that instead of those thin sheets of plastic, suggested the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. Bring a travel mug to the local coffee store for takeout and silverware to the office to cut back on plastic cups and utensils.

“Don’t use plastic bags when you go shopping. Use a cloth bag or a paper bag or a recycle bag. Try to avoid plastic water bottles, if you can possibly do so,” Landrigan said.

A March 2024 study found 1 liter of bottled water — the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters typically purchased by consumers — contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles from seven types of plastics. Some 90% of those were nanoplastics.

“Use a metal or glass drinking cup instead of a plastic cup. Store your food in glass containers instead of in plastic ones,” Landrigan said. “Work in your local community to ban plastic bags, as many communities around the United States have now done. There is a lot you can do.”

Translation

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在該報告中，該聯盟確定塑膠在它的生命週期的每個階段都會對人類健康造成危害。

Landrigan說: 「有些微塑膠也會透過空氣傳播」。 「例如，當人們在高速公路上行駛時，輪胎在高速公路表面磨損，有一定量的微塑膠顆粒會被拋到空氣中」。

他說:「如果你住在海岸附近，海洋中的一些微塑膠顆粒會透過波浪作用被踢到空氣中」。 「因此飲食可能是主要途徑，但呼吸也是一個重要途徑」。

塑膠與癌症有關

聚乙烯用於塑膠袋、薄膜和瓶子，是不可生物降解，是人體組織樣本中發現的主要塑膠類型。根據預印本，大腦中發現的這種物質的含量比肝臟或腎臟中的含量要多。

根據 Campen 和他的團隊 2024 年 8 月的一項研究，聚乙烯也是人類和狗睪丸中發現的主要聚合物類型。

根據環保倡導組織「捍衛我們的健康」收集的行業數據，聚乙烯，例如聚對苯二甲酸乙二醇酯 (PET) 塑料，是溶劑 1,4-二噁烷釋放到環境中的最大提供者。

美國國家毒性計劃和國際癌症研究機構認為 1,4-二噁烷可能對人類致癌。 2023年，美國環保署發布了一份報告草案，稱這種溶劑,  因PET塑膠工廠的排放物所污染, 對塑膠工人和社區居民的飲用水構成「不合理的健康傷害風險」。

Landrigan說: 「最大的問題是，『好吧，這些粒子對我們做了什麼？』老實說，我們仍然不知道很多」。 「我們真正確定的是，這些微塑料顆粒就像特洛伊木馬 - 它們攜帶著塑料中的數千種化學物質，其中一些是非常糟糕的」。

透過侵入主要器官中的單一細胞和組織，奈米塑膠可能會干擾細胞運作, 並會積聚一些會干擾內分泌的化學物質，例如雙酚、鄰苯二甲酸鹽、阻燃劑、重金屬以及全氟和多氟物質（ PFAS）。

據內分泌學會稱，內分泌干擾物會影響人類生殖系統，導致生殖器和生殖畸形以及女性不孕和精子數量下降。

Landrigan說： “我們得知一些有用的觀察, 表明微塑料和奈米塑料會造成危害，儘管我們距離了解這種危害的全部程度還有很長的路要走”; “我想說，我們這裡有足夠的信息使我們需要開始採取保護行動。”

學會少用塑料

專家表示，個人可以採取許多措施來減少塑膠接觸和塑膠足跡。

Landrigan說：「很難避免用塑膠薄膜包裹的食物，但在烹飪或放入微波爐之前，請務必將食物從塑膠薄膜中取出」。 「當你加熱塑膠時，微塑膠會加速從包裝材料中移動到食物中」。

環保倡議組織自然資源保護委員會 建議，買一個有拉鍊的布袋，然後要求乾洗店把衣服放入去，而不是用那些薄薄的塑膠袋。帶一個旅行杯去當地的咖啡店買外賣，帶一些進食用的金屬刀叉到辦公室，以減少塑膠杯子和餐具的使用。

Landrigan說: 「購物時不要使用塑膠袋。使用布袋或紙袋或回收袋。如果可以的話，盡量避免使用塑膠水瓶」。

2024 年 3 月的一項研究發現，1 公升瓶裝水（相當於消費者通常購買的兩瓶標準瓶裝水）平均含有 24 萬個來自七種塑膠的塑膠顆粒。其中約 90% 是奈米塑膠。

Landrigan說: 「使用金屬或玻璃飲水杯而不是塑膠杯。將食物存放在玻璃容器中，而不是塑膠容器中」; 「在當地社區努力禁止使用塑膠袋，就像美國許多社區現在所做的那樣。你可以做很多事情」。

              So, human brain samples collected at autopsy contain more tiny plastic than samples collected eight years ago.  It is also noted that the percentage of plastics in the brain is higher compared with other organs. I am wondering when will know the long-term harmful effects of plastics to our health.

有研究表明，微小的塑膠碎片越來越多地滲入我們的大腦 (1/2)

Recently CNN News on-line reported the following:

Tiny shards of plastic are increasingly infiltrating our brains, study says (1/2)

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 2:50 PM EDT, Fri August 23, 2024

Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May. A preprint is a study which has not yet been peer-reviewed and published in a journal.

“The concentrations we saw in the brain tissue of normal individuals, who had an average age of around 45 or 50 years old, were 4,800 micrograms per gram, or 0.5% by weight,” said lead study author Matthew Campen, a regents’ professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

“Compared to autopsy brain samples from 2016, that’s about 50% higher,” Campen said. “That would mean that our brains today are 99.5% brain and the rest is plastic.”

That increase, however, only shows exposure and does not provide information about brain damage, said Phoebe Stapleton, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, who was not involved in the preprint.

“It is unclear if, in life, these particles are fluid, entering and leaving the brain, or if they collect in neurological tissues and promote disease,” she said in an email. “Further research is needed to understand how the particles may be interacting with the cells and if this has a toxicological consequence.”

The brain samples contained 7% to 30% more tiny shards of plastic than samples from the cadavers’ kidneys and liver, according to the preprint.

“Studies have found these plastics in the human heart, the great blood vessels, the lungs, the liver, the testes, the gastrointestinal tract and the placenta,” said pediatrician and biology professor Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College.

“It’s important not to scare the hell out of people, because the science in this space is still evolving, and nobody in the year 2024 is going to live without plastic,” said Landrigan, who was not involved with the preprint.

“I say to people, ‘Listen, there are some plastics that you can’t escape. You’re not going to get a cell phone or a computer that doesn’t contain plastic.’ But do try to minimize your exposure to the plastic that you can avoid, such as plastic bags and bottles.”

CNN reached out to the American Chemistry Council, an industry association, but did not hear back before publication.

Nanoplastics ‘hijack’ their way into the brain

For the study, researchers examined brain, kidney and liver tissues from 92 people who underwent a forensic autopsy to verify cause of death in both 2016 and 2024. Brain tissue samples were gathered from the frontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with thinking and reasoning, and which is most affected by frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and later stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Based on our observations, we think the brain is pulling in the very smallest nanostructures, like 100 to 200 nanometers in length, whereas some of the larger particles that are a micrometer to five micrometers go into the liver and kidneys,” Campen said.

Microplastics are fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inch (5 millimeters) or about the size of a pencil eraser, to 1 nanometer. A strand of human hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Anything smaller is a nanoplastic that must be measured in billionths of a meter.

Nanoplastics are the most worrisome plastics for human health, experts say, because the minuscule pieces can take up residence inside individual cells.

“Somehow these nanoplastics hijack their way through the body and get to the brain, crossing the blood-brain barrier,” Campen said. “Plastics love fats, or lipids, so one theory is that plastics are hijacking their way with the fats we eat which are then delivered to the organs that really like lipids — the brain is top among those.”

The human brain is about 60% fat by weight, far more than any other organ.  Essential fatty acids, such as omega 3s, are key to the strength and performance of the brain’s cells. Since the human body can’t produce essential fatty acids on its own, they must come from food or supplements.

Diet is the main route of exposure for micro- and nanoplastics, said Landrigan, who is the lead author of a March 2023 report from the Minderoo – Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health, a global consortium of scientists, health-care workers and policy analysts charged with following plastics from creation to final product.

Translation

根據 5 月發佈在網路上的預印本，2024 年初在檢屍時收集的人類大腦樣本中含有的微小塑膠碎片比八年前收集的樣本更多。預印本是尚未經過同行評審並在期刊上發表的研究。

該研究的主要作者、Albuquerque的新墨西哥大學的製藥科學攝政教授Matthew Campen 說:「我們在平均年齡約為45 歲或50 歲的正常人的腦組織中看到的濃度為每克4,800 微克，即重量的0.5%」。

Campen 說：「與 2016 年屍檢大腦樣本相比，這個數字高出約 50%」; 「這意味著我們今天的大腦 99.5% 是腦，其餘的是塑膠」。

然而，沒有參與預印本的新澤西州皮斯卡塔韋Rutgers大學的藥理學和毒理學副教授Phoebe Stapleton表示，這種增加僅顯示了暴露程度，並沒有提供有關腦損傷的資訊.

她在一封電子郵件中說：“目前尚不清楚，在生活中，這些顆粒是否液體，可以進出大腦，或者它們是否聚集在神經組織中並助長疾病” ;“需要進一步的研究來了解這些顆粒如何與細胞互動，以及這是否會產生毒理後果。”

根據預印本，大腦樣本中的微小塑膠碎片比屍體腎臟和肝臟樣本中的塑膠碎片多 7% 至 30%。

兒科醫生、生物學教授、波士頓學院全球公共衛生和共同利益計劃以及全球行星健康觀測站主任Philip Landrigan博士說:「研究發現，這些塑膠存在於人類心臟、大血管、肺、肝臟、睪丸、胃腸道和胎盤中」。

沒有參與預印本的Landrigan說:「重要的是不要把人們嚇壞了，因為這個領域的科學仍在不斷發展，到 2024 年，沒有人會在沒有塑膠的情況下生活」。

「我對人們說:『聽著，有些塑膠是你無法逃脫的。你不會得到不含塑料的手機或電腦』。但請盡量減少接觸可以避免的塑料，例如膠袋和膠瓶」。

CNN聯繫了這行業的協會, 即美國化學理事會，但在發表這之前沒有收到回應。

奈米塑膠「劫持」進入大腦

在這項研究中，研究人員檢查了92 名在2016 年和2024 年接受法醫屍檢的人的腎臟和肝臟組織，以核實死因。腦組織樣本是從額葉皮質採集的，額葉皮質是大腦中與思考和推理相關的區域，也是受額顳葉失智症 (FTD) 和晚期阿茲海默症影響最嚴重的區域。

Campen 說： “根據我們的觀察，我們認為大腦正在吸入最小的奈米結構，例如長度為 100 到 200 奈米，而一些較大的顆粒（1 微米到 5 微米）會進入肝臟和腎臟。”

微塑膠的尺寸是從小於 0.2 英吋（5 毫米）或大約鉛筆橡皮擦大小到 1 奈米的碎片。根據美國環保署的數據，一根人類頭髮的寬度約為 80,000 奈米。任何更小的東西就是奈米塑膠，必須以十億分之一米為單位進行測量。

專家表示，奈米塑膠是對人類健康最令人擔憂的塑料，因為這些微小的碎片可以駐留在單一細胞內。

Campen說： 「這些奈米塑料以某種劫持方式穿過血腦屏障到達大腦」; 「塑膠喜歡脂肪或脂質，因此一種理論認為，塑膠正在劫持着我們所吃進的脂肪，然後將它輸送到真正喜歡脂質的器官 - 大腦是其中最主要的器官」。

以重量計算，人腦的脂肪含量約為 60%，遠多於任何其他器官。 必需脂肪酸，例如歐米伽 3，是大腦細胞力量和能力的關鍵。由於人體無法自行產生必需脂肪酸，因此必須從食物或補充劑中取得。

Landrigan說，飲食是接觸微塑膠和奈米塑膠的主要途徑。他是摩納哥明德魯塑膠與人類健康委員會 (Minderoo – Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health) 2023 年 3 月報告的主要作者, 這是一個由科學家、衛生保健工作者和政策分析師組成的全球聯盟，負責追蹤塑膠從生產到最終產品的整個過程。

（待續）

Note:

1. Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, (必需脂肪酸) are fatty acids that are required by humans and other animals for normal physiological function that cannot be synthesized in the body. As they are not synthesized in the body, the essential fatty acids must be obtained from food or from a dietary supplement. Essential fatty acids are needed for various cellular metabolic processes and for the maintenance and function of tissues and organs. (Wikipedia)

2. The goals of the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics’ impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations—the poor, minorities, and the world’s children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10038118/)