英国约克大学发起了一项河流研究，对全球72个国家711个地点的河流水质进行检测，发现65%的河流抗生素浓度超过安全标准，最差的超标300多倍。泰晤士河被视作欧洲最干净的河流之一，其多条支流被检测出含有至少5种抗生素。

抗生素污染是导致细菌产生耐药性的途径之一。一些产生耐药基因的细菌如果没有被抗生素杀灭，会继续传播耐药基因，久而久之，携带耐药基因的细菌会越来越多，造成抗生素失效，后果不堪设想。

研究人员称，非洲和亚洲的河流抗生素污染堪忧，欧洲、南美洲和北美洲的状况也不容乐观，抗生素污染已经成为一个全球性问题。

Rivers around the world are contaminated with dangerous levels of antibiotics, according to a major new study.

一项新研究显示，世界各地的河流都被抗生素污染了，污染程度已经达到危险水平。

Concentrations of antibiotics in some waterways exceed safe levels by 300 times, a global team of scientists led by the University of York found.

英国约克大学带领的国际科学家团队发现，一些河流的抗生素浓度超出安全值300倍。

The Thames was contaminated with five antibiotics, including levels of ciprofloxacin – used to treat skin and urinary tract infections – that were three times what is considered safe.

泰晤士河被五种抗生素污染，其中用于治疗皮肤和尿路感染的环丙沙星水平超出安全值的两倍。

Researchers looked at 14 commonly used antibiotics in rivers flowing through 72 countries and found antibiotics were in two-thirds of samples.

研究人员在流经72个国家的河流中查找14种常用抗生素，并在三分之二的样本中发现了抗生素。

Scientists fear antibiotics in rivers cause bacteria to develop resistance meaning they can no longer be used in medicines for humans. The UN estimates that the rise in antibiotic resistance could kill 10 million people by 2050.

科学家担心河流中的抗生素会导致细菌产生抗体，这意味着这些抗生素不能再用作人类药物。联合国预计，对抗生素耐药性的上升会在2050年前导致1000万人丧生。

"A lot of the resistance genes we see in human pathogens originated from environmental bacteria,” Professor William Gaze, a microbial ecologist at the University of Exeter who was not involved in the study, told The Guardian.

英国埃克塞特大学的微生物生态学家威廉·盖泽教授告诉《卫报》说：“我们在人类病原体中看到的很多抗性基因都来自周围环境中的细菌。”盖泽教授没有参与这项研究。

pathogen['pæθədʒən]: n. 病原体；病菌

Drugs get into rivers via human and animal waste, as well as leaks from wastewater treatment and drug manufacturing sources.

抗生素药物通过人体和动物排泄物进入河流，污水处理厂和制药厂泄露的抗生素也会进入河流。

In one site in Bangladesh, levels of metronidazole – which is used to treat mouth and skin infections – were 300 times greater than what is considered safe. The most common antibiotic was a urinary tract infection antibiotic called trimethoprim, which was present in 307 of 711 sites tested.

在孟加拉国某地的河流中，甲硝唑水平超出安全值300倍。甲硝唑是用来治疗口腔和皮肤感染的。最常见的抗生素是治疗尿路感染的甲氧苄啶，在全球711处河流取样点中，有307处河水中都检测到了甲氧苄啶。

Scientists flew out 92 testing kits to partners across the world who took samples from local rivers. Researchers found Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Pakistan and Nigeria were home to the most contaminated rivers. The team said that the safe limits were most frequently exceeded in Asia and Africa.

科学家向世界各地的合作机构分发了92套测试工具，用来从当地河流中提取样本。研究人员发现，孟加拉国、肯尼亚、加纳、巴基斯坦和尼日利亚的河流是受抗生素污染最严重的。研究团队称，亚洲和非洲的河流超出安全范围的频率最高。

However, sites in Europe, North America and South America also had high levels of contamination showing that antibiotic contamination was a “global problem".

不过，欧洲、北美洲和南美洲的河流也查出高水平的抗生素污染，这说明抗生素污染是一个“全球性问题”。

Professor Alistair Boxall, from the York Environmental Sustainability Institute, said: “The results are quite eye opening and worrying, demonstrating the widespread contamination of river systems around the world with antibiotic compounds.

约克环境可持续发展研究所的阿利斯泰尔·博克斯奥尔教授说：“研究结果让人瞠目结舌，也让人感到担忧。研究显示，世界各地的河川系统受到抗生素化合物的大面积污染。”

"Many scientists and policy makers now recognize the role of the natural environment in the antimicrobial resistance problem. Our data show that antibiotic contamination of rivers could be an important contributor.

“现在许多科学家和决策者意识到了自然环境对耐药性问题的作用。我们的数据显示，河流受到的抗生素污染是产生耐药性的一个重要原因。”

"Solving the problem is going to be a mammoth challenge and will need investment in infrastructure for waste and wastewater treatment, tighter regulation and the cleaning up of already contaminated sites.”

“解决这个问题将是一个巨大的挑战，需要对垃圾和废水处理设施进行投资，对已经被污染的区域要加强管制和清理。”

mammoth['mæməθ]: adj. 巨大的，庞大的

Professor John Wilkinson, from the University of York, said: “Until now, the majority of environmental monitoring work for antibiotics has been done in Europe, North America and China. Often on only a handful of antibiotics. We know very little about the scale of problem globally.

约克大学的约翰·威尔金森教授说：“到目前为止，大部分对抗生素的环境监测工作都是在欧洲、北美和中国完成的。通常监测的只有几种抗生素。我们对于抗生素在全球的污染程度知之甚少。”

"Our study helps fill this key knowledge gap with data being generated for countries that had never been monitored before.”

“我们的研究用数据填补了这一关键知识缺口，这些数据来源于那些过去从未对抗生素进行过环境监测的国家。”

The findings were unveiled at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in Helsinki on May 27 and 28.

该研究结果于5月27日和28日在赫尔辛基举行的环境毒理学与化学学会年度会议上公布。