棉花棒

棉花棒（英語：cotton swab）又叫棉棒、棉签，是一種在紙製、木製或塑膠製的長軸頂端纏上脫脂棉的日用品。它們最常用於清潔耳朵，儘管醫生不建議這樣做。棉花棒的其他用途包括急救、化妝、清潔、嬰兒護理和工藝品製作。對於海洋污染的擔憂，一些國家已經禁止使用塑膠柄棉籤，轉而使用可生物降解的替代品。

歷史

1920年由Leo Gerstensang发明^[1]。

規格與種類

一般棉花棒是以紙等材質，捲成大約直徑2毫米粗的長軸，再以脫脂棉纏繞在頂端到向內1～1.5厘米處。

家用棉花棒的長度大約是8厘米，但某些醫療用的棉花棒，長度通常在家用棉花棒的兩倍左右。

某些用來塗抹藥品、以及用來清潔機械細部的棉花棒，因其用途而設計成只有一端纏有棉球，甚至連長軸都以木頭製成。

用途

通常家用棉花棒會被用來塗抹藥品、化妝品或是掏耳朵，甚至因為棉花棒的出現，使得掏耳勺的使用率越來越低。

醫療風險

使用棉花棒在耳道中清潔沒有任何醫療益處，反而會帶來一定的醫療風險。^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] 耳垢是外耳道自然產生的、正常情況下的產物，可保護耳內皮膚，起到潤滑和清潔的作用，並提供一些防細菌、真菌、昆蟲和水的保護。^[6]^[7]

嘗試用棉花棒去除耳垢可能會導致耳垢嵌塞，即耳垢在耳道中積聚或堵塞，從而引起疼痛、聽力問題、耳鳴或頭暈，並可能需要藥物治療才能解決。^[4]在耳道中使用棉花棒是耳膜穿孔最常見的原因之一，有時耳膜穿孔需要手術來矯正。^[8]

2004 年的一項研究發現，「使用棉花棒清潔耳朵似乎是兒童外耳炎的主要原因，應避免使用」。^[9]相反，淋浴後用毛巾擦去耳垢幾乎可以完全清潔耳道外部三分之一的區域，而耳垢正是在這裡產生的。^[10]

環境影響

塑膠棉籤經常被沖入馬桶，增加了海洋污染的風險。一些製造商和零售商已經停止生產和銷售塑膠棉籤，只銷售可生物降解的紙質棉籤。ref>Johnston, Ian. Johnson & Johnson will stop selling plastic cotton buds in half the world to help cut marine pollution. The Independent. 13 February 2017 [26 November 2006]. </ref>

歐盟於 2021 年頒布了禁止使用塑膠柄棉籤的法令。^[11]義大利先前已於 2019 年頒布了禁令^[12]，摩納哥也於 2020 年頒布了禁令。^[13]英格蘭、^[14]蘇格蘭、^[15]威爾斯、^[16]和馬恩島^[17]均在 2019 年至 2021 年期間頒布了禁令。

另见

參考文獻

^ Schueller, Randy, Cotton Swab, History 4, FindArticles.com, 1996 [2011-08-01], （原始内容存档于2011-08-31）
^ Moser, Rod, Q-Tips – Weapons of Ear Destruction?, WebMD, 13 November 2006
^ Stein, Joel, Something Evil in the Ear Canal, Time, 26 March 2001
^ ^4.0 ^4.1 American Academy of Family Physicians. Information from Your Family Doctor—Earwax: What You Should Know. American Family Physician. May 2007, 75 (10): 1530. PMID 17555145.
^ Why You Really, Truly Should Not Put Q-Tips Into Your Ears. commonhealth. [6 March 2016].
^ McCarter, Daniel F.; et al. Cerumen Impaction. American Family Physician. May 2007, 75 (10): 1523–1528 [5 September 2012]. PMID 17555144.
^ Earwax 互联网档案馆的存檔，存档日期10 February 2013. at the American Hearing Research Foundation. Chicago, Illinois 2008.
^ Smith, Matthew; Darrat. Otologic complications of cotton swab use: One institution's experience. The Laryngoscope. February 2012, 122 (2): 409–411. PMID 22241624. S2CID 206199065. doi:10.1002/lary.22437.
^ Nussinovitch, Moshe; et al. Cotton-tip applicators as a leading cause of otitis externa. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. April 2004, 68 (4): 433–435 [5 September 2012]. PMID 15013609. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2003.11.014.
^ Don't use cotton-tipped swabs to clean inside your ears, experts urge. CBC News. 9 January 2018 [10 January 2018] （加拿大英语）.
^ Moore, Darrel. European Parliament Approves Law To Ban Single-Use Plastics. CIWM Journal Online. 28 March 2019 [28 March 2019]. （原始内容存档于30 March 2019）.
^ Italy to ban microplastics used in rinse-off cosmetics products. ChemicalWatch.com. [19 June 2018]. （原始内容存档于19 July 2018）.
^ Combating Plastics in Monaco: On 1 January, Plastic Cotton Buds, Cups, Cutlery and Plates wereBanned. 6 January 2020.
^ Ban on plastic straws in England pushed back to October 2020. Edie.net. 22 May 2019 [16 April 2020] （英国英语）.
^ Plastic-stemmed cotton buds now banned in Scotland. BBC News. 12 October 2019.
^ Wales unveils plans to ban single-use plastics from 2021. Edie.net. 19 March 2020.
^ Manx government proposes ban on single-use plastics. BBC News. 24 July 2019 [1 August 2019].

外部連結

[howproductsmade-1] Schueller, Randy, Cotton Swab, History 4, FindArticles.com, 1996 [2011-08-01], （原始内容存档于2011-08-31）

[2] Moser, Rod, Q-Tips – Weapons of Ear Destruction?, WebMD, 13 November 2006

[3] Stein, Joel, Something Evil in the Ear Canal, Time, 26 March 2001

[AAFP-4] 4.0 ^4.1 American Academy of Family Physicians. Information from Your Family Doctor—Earwax: What You Should Know. American Family Physician. May 2007, 75 (10): 1530. PMID 17555145.

[5] Why You Really, Truly Should Not Put Q-Tips Into Your Ears. commonhealth. [6 March 2016].

[6] McCarter, Daniel F.; et al. Cerumen Impaction. American Family Physician. May 2007, 75 (10): 1523–1528 [5 September 2012]. PMID 17555144.

[7] Earwax 互联网档案馆的存檔，存档日期10 February 2013. at the American Hearing Research Foundation. Chicago, Illinois 2008.

[8] Smith, Matthew; Darrat. Otologic complications of cotton swab use: One institution's experience. The Laryngoscope. February 2012, 122 (2): 409–411. PMID 22241624. S2CID 206199065. doi:10.1002/lary.22437.

[Nussinovitch-9] Nussinovitch, Moshe; et al. Cotton-tip applicators as a leading cause of otitis externa. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. April 2004, 68 (4): 433–435 [5 September 2012]. PMID 15013609. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2003.11.014.

[10] Don't use cotton-tipped swabs to clean inside your ears, experts urge. CBC News. 9 January 2018 [10 January 2018] （加拿大英语）.

[11] Moore, Darrel. European Parliament Approves Law To Ban Single-Use Plastics. CIWM Journal Online. 28 March 2019 [28 March 2019]. （原始内容存档于30 March 2019）.

[12] Italy to ban microplastics used in rinse-off cosmetics products. ChemicalWatch.com. [19 June 2018]. （原始内容存档于19 July 2018）.

[13] Combating Plastics in Monaco: On 1 January, Plastic Cotton Buds, Cups, Cutlery and Plates wereBanned. 6 January 2020.

[14] Ban on plastic straws in England pushed back to October 2020. Edie.net. 22 May 2019 [16 April 2020] （英国英语）.

[15] Plastic-stemmed cotton buds now banned in Scotland. BBC News. 12 October 2019.

[16] Wales unveils plans to ban single-use plastics from 2021. Edie.net. 19 March 2020.

[17] Manx government proposes ban on single-use plastics. BBC News. 24 July 2019 [1 August 2019].

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