Mu Bushinwa, byitwaga “qi,” ikimenyetso cy’ubuzima. Muri Egiputa byitwaga “ankh,” ikimenyetso cy’ubuzima bw’iteka. Ku Bafoyinike, iryo jambo ryari rifitanye isano na Aphrodite—imana y’urukundo n’ubwiza.
Iyi mico ya kera yavugaga ku muringa, ibintu amoko hirya no hino ku isi yamaze imyaka irenga 5000 yemera ko ari ingenzi ku buzima bwacu. Iyo ibicurane, bagiteri nka E. coli, udukoko twinshi nka MRSA, cyangwa ndetse na coronavirus zigwa ahantu henshi hakomeye, zishobora kubaho iminsi ine kugeza kuri itanu. Ariko iyo ziguye ku muringa, n'umuringa nk'umuringa, zitangira gupfa mu minota mike kandi ntizishobora kugaragara mu masaha make.
Bill Keevil, umwarimu w’ubuvuzi bw’ibidukikije muri Kaminuza ya Southampton, agira ati: “Twabonye virusi zikwirakwira gusa.” “Zigwa ku muringa kandi zigatuma zigabanuka.” Ntibitangaje kuba mu Buhinde, abantu bamaze imyaka ibarirwa mu bihumbi banywa mu bikombe by’umuringa. Ndetse na hano muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, umugozi w’umuringa uzana amazi yawe yo kunywa. Umuringa ni ikintu karemano, kidakoreshwa, kandi gitera indwara ziterwa na mikorobe. Urashobora kwisukura ku buso bwawo udakeneye amashanyarazi cyangwa bleach.
Umuringa waragwiriye cyane mu gihe cy'impinduramatwara y'inganda nk'ibikoresho byo gukoramo ibintu, ibikoresho, n'inyubako. Umuringa uracyakoreshwa cyane mu miyoboro y'amashanyarazi—isoko ry'umuringa mu by'ukuri ririmo kwiyongera kuko ibikoresho ari igikoresho cyiza cyane. Ariko ibikoresho byakuwe mu bikorwa byinshi by'ubwubatsi bitewe n'umuvuduko w'ibikoresho bishya byo mu kinyejana cya 20. Plasitiki, ikirahure gishyushye, aluminiyumu, n'icyuma kitagira umugese ni ibikoresho bigezweho—bikoreshwa mu bintu byose kuva ku bwubatsi kugeza ku bicuruzwa bya Apple. Udupfundo tw'inzugi z'umuringa n'imigozi byagiye bihinduka uko abubatsi n'abashushanya bahisemo ibikoresho bisa neza (kandi akenshi bihendutse).
Ubu Keevil yizera ko igihe kigeze cyo kugarura umuringa mu bibanza bihuriramo abantu benshi, cyane cyane mu bitaro. Mu gihe hari ahazaza hadashobora kwirindwa huzuye icyorezo cy’icyorezo ku isi, twagombye gukoresha umuringa mu buvuzi, mu gutwara abantu n’ibintu, ndetse no mu ngo zacu. Nubwo bitinze guhagarika COVID-19, ntabwo ari kare cyane gutekereza ku cyorezo gitaha. Ibyiza by’umuringa, byarapimwe.
Twari dukwiye kubona ko bizaza, kandi mu by’ukuri, hari umuntu wabibonye.
Mu 1983, umushakashatsi mu by'ubuvuzi Phyllis J. Kuhn yanditse inyandiko ya mbere ivuga ku ibura ry'umuringa yari yabonye mu bitaro. Mu myitozo yo kuvura isuku yabereye mu kigo cy’ubuvuzi cya Hamot i Pittsburgh, abanyeshuri basutse ahantu hatandukanye hirya no hino mu bitaro, harimo n'amasafuriya y'ubwiherero n'udupfundikizo tw'inzugi. Yabonye ko ubwiherero butarimo mikorobe, mu gihe bimwe mu bikoresho byari byanduye cyane kandi bikura bagiteri ziteje akaga iyo byemerewe kwiyongera ku masahani ya agar.
Icyo gihe yanditse ati: “Ibikoresho by’inzugi by’icyuma gikozwe mu cyuma gishyushye kandi gikakaye bisa neza ku muryango w’ibitaro. Ibinyuranye n’ibyo, ibikoresho by’inzugi n’ibikoresho by’umuringa byanduye bisa n’ibyanduye kandi byanduza.” “Ariko nubwo byanduye, umuringa—ubusanzwe icyuma gikozwe mu cyuma gikozwe muri 67% na 33% bya zinc—[wica bagiteri], mu gihe icyuma gikozwe muri icyuma gikozwe muri icyuma—hafi 88% by’icyuma na 12% bya chromium—nta cyo bikora mu kubangamira iterambere rya bagiteri.”
Amaherezo, yasoje inyandiko ye n'umwanzuro woroshye uhagije kugira ngo urwego rwose rw'ubuvuzi ruwukurikize. “Niba ibitaro byawe birimo kuvugururwa, gerageza kugumana ibikoresho bishaje by'umuringa cyangwa ubisubiremo; niba ufite ibikoresho by'icyuma kidashonga, menya neza ko bisukurwa buri munsi, cyane cyane mu bigo byita ku barwayi barembye.”
Nyuma y’imyaka ibarirwa muri za mirongo, kandi byemezwa ko abifashijwemo n’Ishyirahamwe ry’Iterambere ry’Umuringa (itsinda ry’abacuruzi b’inganda z’umuringa), Keevil yateje imbere ubushakashatsi bwa Kuhn. Akora muri laboratwari ye hamwe na zimwe mu ndwara zitera indwara zitinywa cyane ku isi, yagaragaje ko umuringa utica bagiteri neza gusa, ahubwo unanica virusi.
Mu kazi ka Keevil, ashyira isahani y'umuringa mu nzoga kugira ngo ayisukure. Hanyuma ayishyira muri acetone kugira ngo akureho amavuta yose atari yo. Hanyuma ashyira mikorobe ku buso. Mu gihe cyumye. Icyitegererezo gihagarara igihe icyo ari cyo cyose kuva ku minota mike kugeza ku minsi mike. Hanyuma ayizunguza mu gasanduku kuzuyemo amasaro y'ikirahure n'amazi. Amasaro akuramo bagiteri na virusi mu mazi, maze amazi ashobora gupimwa kugira ngo amenye ko ahari. Mu bindi bihe, yateguye uburyo bwa mikorosopi bumufasha kureba no kwandika—no kwandika—indwara iri gusenywa n'umuringa igihe cyose igeze hejuru.
Ingaruka zisa n'amayobera, avuga, ariko kuri iyi ngingo, ibintu biri mu kaga ni siyansi isobanutse neza. Iyo virusi cyangwa bagiteri bigeze ku isahani, byuzuyemo iyoni z'umuringa. Izo iyoni zinjira mu turemangingo na virusi nk'amasasu. Umuringa ntupfa gusa izi ndwara; urazirimbura, kugeza kuri aside nucleic, cyangwa plan y'imyororokere, imbere.
Keevil agira ati: “Nta mahirwe yo guhinduka [cyangwa ubwihindurize] ahari kuko utunyangingo twose turimo kwangirika. Ibyo ni bimwe mu byiza nyabyo by’umuringa.” Mu yandi magambo, gukoresha umuringa ntibizana n’ibyago byo, urugero, gutanga imiti igabanya ubukana bw’imiti irwanya udukoko. Ni igitekerezo cyiza gusa.
Mu isuzuma ry’ibintu nyabyo, umuringa ugaragaza agaciro kawo. Uretse laboratwari, abandi bashakashatsi bakurikiranye niba umuringa ugira icyo uhindura iyo ukoreshejwe mu buzima busanzwe - harimo n’udupfundo tw’inzugi z’ibitaro, ariko nanone ahantu nko ku buriri bw’ibitaro, aho abashyitsi bicara, ndetse n’aho bahagarara. Mu 2015, abashakashatsi bakoraga ku nkunga ya Minisiteri y’Ingabo bagereranije umubare w’abandura mu bitaro bitatu, maze basanga igihe umuringa wakoreshwaga mu bitaro bitatu, wagabanyije umubare w’abandura ho 58%. Ubushakashatsi nk’ubwo bwakozwe mu 2016 mu cyumba cyita ku bana barembye, bwagaragaje ko umubare w’abandura wagabanutse cyane.
Ariko se bite ku bijyanye n'ikiguzi? Umuringa uhora uhenze kurusha pulasitiki cyangwa aluminiyumu, kandi akenshi uba uhenze cyane kuruta icyuma. Ariko bitewe nuko indwara ziterwa n'ibitaro zitwara urwego rw'ubuvuzi miliyari 45 z'amadolari ku mwaka—tutibagiwe no kwica abantu bagera ku 90.000—igiciro cyo kuvugurura umuringa ni gito cyane ugereranije.
Keevil, utagihabwa inkunga n'inganda zikora umuringa, yizera ko inshingano z'abubatsi ari iz'abubatsi guhitamo umuringa mu mishinga mishya y'ubwubatsi. Umuringa ni wo wa mbere (kandi kugeza ubu ni wo wa nyuma) w'icyuma gitera mikorobe cyemewe na EPA. (Amasosiyete yo mu nganda zikora ifeza yagerageje kuvuga ko ari umuti urwanya mikorobe, byatumye acibwa amande ya EPA.) Amatsinda y'inganda zikora umuringa yiyandikishije muri EPA alloys zirenga 400. Yagize ati: “Twagaragaje ko umuringa-nikeli ari mwiza nk'umuringa mu kwica bagiteri na virusi.” Kandi nikeli y'umuringa ntabwo ikwiye kumera nk'impanda ishaje; ntabwo itandukaniye n'icyuma kidasaza.
Ku bijyanye n'inyubako zindi zo ku isi zitaravugururwa kugira ngo zisenye ibikoresho bishaje by'umuringa, Keevil atanga inama igira iti: “Ntukabikureho, uko wakora kose. Ibi ni byo bintu byiza ufite.”
Igihe cyo kohereza: Ugushyingo-25-2021