聯合國十年有成 含鉛汽油即將走入歷史 | 環境資訊中心
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聯合國十年有成 含鉛汽油即將走入歷史

2011年11月16日
摘譯自2011年11月11日ENS瑞士,格蘭報導;周念學編譯;蔡麗伶審校

緬甸黑市所販售的含鉛汽油(Hannah Lynch攝)聯合國環境規劃署(UNEP)指出,全球淘汰含鉛燃料計畫現在幾乎要成功了。根據加州州立大學科學家新的研究,世界各國排除含鉛燃料所獲得的相關健康利益總計為每年2.4兆。

2002年在約翰尼斯堡舉行的永續發展世界高峰會決議,UNEP負責帶領由官方與民間合作的清潔燃料與車輛夥伴合作計畫(Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles),協助大多數發展中和轉型中國家邁向無鉛化。該機構表示,「過去十年,這項活動讓全球幾近達成燃料無鉛化。」

至少有185個國家已停止在運輸燃料中添加鉛,但阿富汗、 阿爾及利亞、北韓、緬甸及葉門等6個國家仍然使用含鉛燃料。將來一至兩年, 這些國家應將進行燃料無鉛化。

聯合國副秘書長暨UNEP執行長史坦納(Achim Steiner)談到,「 雖然世界各領導者和媒體常常忽略對這項全球化的努力的關注, 但汽油無鉛化和主要致命疾病的消滅都是巨大的成果。」

「這將成為過去幾十年中名留青史的主要成就之一。這是民主、官方與民間合作的大勝利。」

汽油用在高壓內燃機中會有自燃傾向,造成受損引擎發出爆震聲。但加入鉛後能防止這情況發生。鉛也用來提高辛烷值讓引擎性能提高。

但含鉛汽油也妨礙排放控制裝置的作用,例如能減少有害物質排放達90%的觸媒轉化器。觸媒轉化器現在是全世界以汽油為動力的交通工具標準配備。

目前已有一連串的添加物能取代鉛化合物,包括芳烴( aromatic hydrocarbons)、乙醚(ethers)和乙醇(ethanol)或甲醇(methanol)。

加州仍准許為賽車添加含鉛汽油。2007年位在加州的含鉛汽油泵。(John Grey拍攝)已開發國家包括美國和一些歐洲國家發現從交通工具排氣管中釋放出的吸入性鉛粒子毒性高,所以在1970年代中期就已禁止含鉛燃料的使用。

鉛中毒已名列世界最嚴重環境健康問題之一,而含鉛汽油須對約百分之90的人類鉛曝露事件負責。

加州州立大學科學家在12月份即將出刊的環境健康期刊(Journal of Environmental Health)中研究顯示,排除全球含鉛燃料所獲得的相關健康利益總計為每年2.4兆。

智力的改善、心血管疾病的降低和犯罪率的減少是其中的利益。研究指出血液中鉛濃度高的兒童更加具有侵略性、暴力和犯罪傾向。

鉛中毒也和高血壓、心理、生理發展遲緩和注意力欠缺息息相關。

一項研究名為「淘汰含鉛燃料所產生的全球利益」(The Global Benefits of Phasing Out Leaded Fuel)發現,如果把受鉛汙染影響較高的癌症和都市化增加的因素列入考量的話,經濟利益也許更加高漲。

北嶺加州大學環境暨職業衛生學系主任也是與蔡彼得研究員(Peter Tsai)共同撰寫這份報告的哈菲爾教授(Thomas Hatfield)表示,「第一份草稿誕生時,我們都覺得這些數字太高了。如何能讓去除汽油含鉛量後所形成的利益相當於國內生產總值4%。這好像癡 人說夢。」

「然而,我們使用的方法在單獨文獻中得到佐證,而且我們的工作也受到一些同領域重要專家的檢視。當檢閱過去幾十年中淘汰含鉛汽油的進展時,我們更適當地應以幾兆的全球利益計算而不是幾十億。」

世界衛生組織估計約有1500萬到1800萬開發中國家兒童,現在由於鉛中毒而腦部遭受永久傷害。

非營利團體「自然資源防禦委員會」(Natural Resources Defense Council)是清潔燃料與車輛夥伴合作計畫( Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles)創始會員之一。NRDC執行長彼得雷納(Peter Lehner)說:「這對全世界兒童和家庭來說是個大勝利。拒絕含鉛汽油已為全球各社群打開一扇促進健康和經濟利益的大門。」

雷納和史坦納都說,「但整體而言,對較為清潔的能源所做的努力仍然有條長路要走。當我們為世界趕走一個非必要且有害的燃料添加物時,我們希望激發全球的動力清除仍籠罩世界許多城市的有害柴油汙染。」

史坦納談到現在正著手處理其他對健康有害的交通工具排放物,例如燃料中濃度高到無法接受的硫磺,其仍然在非洲許多國家持續排放。

史坦納說,「然而,再一次重申,這種對環境汙染所進行的挑戰,將對各國家和經濟產生多重綠色經濟效益而絕不是障礙的分析是無庸置疑的。」

Leaded Transport Fuel Fades Into History
NAIROBI, Kenya, November 11, 2011 (ENS)

 A global effort to eliminate lead in transport fuel is now nearly complete, says the United Nations agency tasked with accomplishing that goal. The health benefits linked to ridding the world of leaded gas amount to US$2.4 trillion each year, according to new research by scientists at California State University.
As an outcome of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the UN Environment Programme was asked to lead the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, a public-private partnership that has helped most developing and transitional countries go unleaded. Over the past decade, the campaign has resulted in a near-global elimination of leaded fuel, says UNEP.

At least 185 countries have stopped adding lead to transport fuel. Only six - Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, North Korea, Myanmar and Yemen - are still using leaded fuel. They are expected to make the transition to unleaded gasoline over the next year or two.

Achim Steiner, UN under-secretary general and UNEP executive director, said, "Although this global effort has often flown below the radar of media and global leaders, it is clear that the elimination of leaded petrol is an immense achievement on par with the global elimination of major deadly diseases."

"This will go down in history as one of the major environmental achievements of the past few decades. It is a triumph of diplomacy and public-private collaboration," said Steiner.

Gasoline, when used in high-compression internal combustion engines, has a tendency to autoignite, causing damaging engine knocking or pinging. The addition of lead prevents that effect. It has also been added to boost octane levels, which boosts engine performance.

But the use of lead in gasoline prevents the use of emission controls, such as catalytic converters, that can reduce harmful emissions by up to 90 percent. Catalytic converters are now standard in all new gasoline-fueled vehicles worldwide.

A range of additives have replaced lead compounds, including aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers and ethanol or methanol.

Developed countries, including the United States and parts of Europe, banned the use of leaded transport fuels from the mid-1970s when it was found that inhalating lead particles released from vehicle tailpipes is highly toxic.

Lead poisoning has been one of the world's most serious environmental health problems, and leaded gasoline has been responsible for some 90 percent of human lead exposure.

The health benefits linked to ridding the world of leaded gas amount to US$2.4 trillion each year, finds a study by scientists at California State University that will be published in the "Journal of Environmental Health" in December.

Improvements in IQ, reductions in cardiovascular diseases, and decline in criminality are among the benefits. Research has indicated that children with high levels of lead in their blood are much more likely to be aggressive, violent and delinquent.

Lead poisoning also is associated with high blood pressure, delayed mental and physical development and reduced attention span.

The study, "The Global Benefits of Phasing Out Leaded Fuel," finds that the economic benefits may prove to be even higher if factors such as cancer and rising urbanization, where the impacts of lead pollution are higher, are taken into account.

"When the first draft report came out we all felt that these numbers were too high. How can removing lead from petrol result in benefits equal to four percent of the GDP. It was too good to be true," said Professor Thomas Hatfield, chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at California State University, Northridge, who co-wrote the report with researcher Peter Tsai.

"However, we found independent corroboration of our approach in the literature, and we have had our work peer-reviewed by some of the leading experts in the field," Hatfield said. "When viewed over the decades of progress in phasing out leaded fuel, it is more appropriate to speak of the global benefits in trillions of dollars - not billions but trillions."

The World Health Organization estimates that between 15 and 18 million children in developing countries now suffer from permanent brain damage due to lead poisoning.

The nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council is a founding member of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles. NRDC Executive Director Peter Lehner said, "This is a huge victory for children and families worldwide. Saying goodbye to lead in gas has opened the door to improved health and economic benefits for communities all across the globe."

But the cleaner fuels effort as a whole still has a long way to go, say both Lehner and Steiner.

"And as we rid the world of one unnecessarily harmful fuel additive, we look to generate global momentum to clean up harmful diesel pollution that still shrouds so many cities worldwide," said Lehner.

Steiner said action is now underway to tackle other health hazardous vehicle emissions, such as the unacceptably high levels of sulfur still found in fuels in African countries.

"Yet again, here is a clear body of analysis that demonstrates that far from being a burden on economies, acting on environmental challenges generates multiple Green Economy benefits right across countries and economies," said Steiner.

作者

周念學

親近大自然,精神上總是愉快的。

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.