> Receipts contain "toxic" chemicals, report says
美國大型連鎖店80%的收據(jù)含有“有毒”化學(xué)物質(zhì)

The majority of receipts at some of the US’ biggest store and restaurant chains contain "toxic chemicals" such as bisphenol A, or BPA, according to new research.
據(jù)哥倫比亞廣播公司報(bào)道，一項(xiàng)最新研究顯示，美國最大的商店和餐飲連鎖店的收據(jù)大多都含有“有毒化學(xué)物質(zhì)”，如雙酚A （BPA）。

About 80% of receipts from 144 major chain stores in 22 US states and Washington, D.C. contained bisphenols per new findings from the Ecology Center, a nonprofit environmental health organization.
非營利環(huán)境健康組織生態(tài)中心的分析顯示，美國22個(gè)州和華盛頓特區(qū)的144家大型連鎖店的收據(jù)中，約80%含有雙酚類物質(zhì)。

"Receipts are a common exposure route for hormone-disrupting bisphenols which readily absorb through the skin. Our studies show most retailers use bisphenol-coated receipt paper," Melissa Cooper Sargent, environmental health advocate at the Ecology Center, said in a statement. "Switching to non-toxic paper is an easy shift."
“收據(jù)是擾亂激素的雙酚類物質(zhì)的常見暴露途徑，它們很容易通過皮膚吸收。“我們的研究表明，大多數(shù)零售商使用的都是雙酚涂層收據(jù)紙，”生態(tài)中心的環(huán)境健康倡導(dǎo)者梅麗莎?庫珀?薩金特在一份聲明中說?！案挠脽o毒紙張并不是什么難事?！?/p>

BPA is known to affect the reproductive systems of laboratory animals, but the impact on human health requires more research, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
據(jù)美國疾病控制與預(yù)防中心稱，已知雙酚A會(huì)影響實(shí)驗(yàn)動(dòng)物的生殖系統(tǒng)，但對人類健康的影響還需要更多的研究。

The chemical has been found in the urine of almost all people who were tested by the CDC, with the agency noting this indicates "widespread exposure to BPA" among Americans.
美國疾控中心在幾乎所有接受檢測的人的尿液中都發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種化學(xué)物質(zhì)。該機(jī)構(gòu)指出，這表明美國人“廣泛接觸雙酚A”。

Some retailers have pledged to switch to receipt paper made without the chemicals, with Walgreens earlier this month announcing it plans to switch to phenol-free paper receipts — paper made without phenol-based chemicals like BPA or BPS — at its 9,000 locations by the end of 2023.
一些零售商已承諾改用不含化學(xué)物質(zhì)的收據(jù)紙，沃爾格林本月早些時(shí)候宣布，計(jì)劃到2023年底，在其9000個(gè)門店改用不含酚類化學(xué)物質(zhì)（如BPA或BPS）的收據(jù)紙。

The study noted the share of retailers and other chains using receipts that contain BPA or BPS has declined since it last tested for the chemicals, decreasing from 93% in 2017 to 80% now.
該研究指出，自上次對雙酚A（BPA） 或雙酚 S （BPS） 進(jìn)行檢測以來，使用含有雙酚A或雙酚S收據(jù)的零售商和其他連鎖店的比例有所下降，從2017年的93%下降到現(xiàn)在的80%。

The Ecology Center recommends consumers decline printed receipts when possible, or wash their hands after taking a receipt.
美國生態(tài)中心建議消費(fèi)者盡可能拒絕打印收據(jù)，或者在拿收據(jù)后洗手。

It also said shoppers can fold the receipt with the printed side in, since the backside of the paper typically isn't coated with the chemicals. It also warned babies and children not to touch receipts.
該公司還表示，購物者可以將打印好的收據(jù)折疊起來，因?yàn)榧垙埖谋趁嫱ǔ２粫?huì)涂上化學(xué)物質(zhì)。

Workers should wear disposable gloves while handling receipts, and wash and dry their hands before eating or changing receipt rolls, the group recommended.
它還建議嬰兒和兒童不要碰收據(jù)。工作人員在處理收據(jù)時(shí)應(yīng)戴上一次性手套，并在進(jìn)食或更換收據(jù)紙卷之前洗手并擦干雙手。

> Japan's population projected to shrink
日本研究所預(yù)測：2070年日本總?cè)丝趯p少30%

Japan's population is expected to fall to 87 million by 2070, shrinking 30 percent from 2020, a government estimate showed Wednesday, highlighting the country's need to overhaul its social security systems and restructure its urban communities.
據(jù)《今日日本》報(bào)（Japan Today）報(bào)道，日本政府上月26日公布的一項(xiàng)估計(jì)顯示，到2070年，日本人口預(yù)計(jì)將降至8700萬，比2020年減少30%，這凸顯日本需要全面改革其社會(huì)保障體系并重組其城市社區(qū)。

Foreign residents, including students and workers residing in Japan for more than three months, are set to comprise 10.8 percent of the population at 9.39 million in 2070, expanding from 2.2 percent in 2020.
外國居民，包括在日本居住三個(gè)月以上的留學(xué)生和外籍工人，將從2020年的2.2%增加到2070年的939萬人，占總?cè)丝诘?0.8%。

The National Institute of Population and Security Research said those aged 65 or above in Japan are projected to hit 33.67 million in 2070 after peaking at 39.53 million in 2043.
日本國立社會(huì)保障和人口問題研究所表示，日本65歲以上人口將在2043年達(dá)到3953萬人的峰值，到2070年將達(dá)到3367萬人。

In 2070, they will comprise 38.7 percent of the population, resulting in ballooning social security costs.
屆時(shí)，他們將占人口的38.7%，使得社會(huì)保障成本激增。

The health ministry's research body provides 50-year demographic forecasts approximately every five years based on public data such as censuses.
該日本厚生勞動(dòng)省下屬研究機(jī)構(gòu)根據(jù)人口普查等公共數(shù)據(jù)大約每5年提供一次50年的人口預(yù)測。

The government will use the latest data to calculate the country's future pension payouts.
日本政府將使用最新的數(shù)據(jù)來計(jì)算該國未來的養(yǎng)老金支出。

The population, numbering 126.15 million as of 2020, is expected to fall under the 100 million threshold in 2056, it said.
該報(bào)告稱，截至2020年，日本人口數(shù)量為1.2615億，預(yù)計(jì)將在2056年跌破1億。

The projected fertility rate, or the expected number of children born per woman during child-bearing years, was at 1.36 for 2070, slightly up from 1.33 in 2020 but remaining well below the 2.07 level required to maintain the population.
2070年的預(yù)計(jì)生育率，即每名婦女在其育齡期生育的預(yù)期子女?dāng)?shù)，為1.36，略高于2020年的1.33，但仍遠(yuǎn)低于維持人口數(shù)量的門檻2.07。

The number of births, which slipped below 800,000 in 2022, is likely to decline further to under 700,000 in 2043 and below 500,000 in 2070, the institute said.
該研究所表示，出生人口在2022年下降到80萬以下，在2043年可能進(jìn)一步下降到70萬以下，在2070年下降到50萬以下。

People aged 15 to 64, the working-age population that supports the country's social security systems by paying premiums, are forecast to decline sharply to 45.35 million in 2070 from 75.09 million in 2020.
15至64歲的人，即通過繳納保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)支持日本的社會(huì)保障體系的工作年齡人口，預(yù)計(jì)將從2020年的7509萬大幅下降到2070年的4535萬。

Those aged 14 and under are estimated to decrease to 7.97 million in 2070 from 15.03 million in 2020.
14歲及以下的人口估計(jì)將從2020年的1503萬減少到2070年的797萬。

The population's average age is projected to be 47.6 in 2020, rising to 54.0 in 2070.
日本人口的平均年齡預(yù)計(jì)在2020年為47.6歲，到2070年上升到54歲。

Men's average life expectancy is expected to reach 85.89 in 2070 from 81.58 in 2020, while that of women is likely to climb to 91.94 from 87.72.
男性的平均預(yù)期壽命將從2020年的81.58歲達(dá)到2070年的85.89歲，而女性的平均預(yù)期壽命可能從87.72歲升至91.94歲。

However, according to Masashi Kawai, director of a research center on population decline prevention, the latest data "overstates the rise in the foreign population and does not take into account pandemic-caused falls in the younger generation's desire to marry or have children."
然而，根據(jù)日本人口下降預(yù)防研究中心主任Masashi Kawai的說法，最新的數(shù)據(jù)“夸大了外國人口的增長，沒有考慮到疫情導(dǎo)致的年輕一代結(jié)婚或生孩子意愿的下降?！?/p>

Find more audio news on the China Daily app.