棉花棒

棉花棒（英语：cotton swab）又叫棉棒、棉签，是一种在纸制、木制或塑胶制的长轴顶端缠上脱脂棉的日用品。它们最常用于清洁耳朵，尽管医生不建议这样做。棉花棒的其他用途包括急救、化妆、清洁、婴儿护理和工艺品制作。对于海洋污染的担忧，一些国家已经禁止使用塑胶柄棉签，转而使用可生物降解的替代品。

历史

1920年由Leo Gerstensang发明^[1]。

规格与种类

一般棉花棒是以纸等材质，卷成大约直径2毫米粗的长轴，再以脱脂棉缠绕在顶端到向内1～1.5厘米处。

家用棉花棒的长度大约是8厘米，但某些医疗用的棉花棒，长度通常在家用棉花棒的两倍左右。

某些用来涂抹药品、以及用来清洁机械细部的棉花棒，因其用途而设计成只有一端缠有棉球，甚至连长轴都以木头制成。

用途

通常家用棉花棒会被用来涂抹药品、化妆品或是掏耳朵，甚至因为棉花棒的出现，使得掏耳勺的使用率越来越低。

医疗风险

使用棉花棒在耳道中清洁没有任何医疗益处，反而会带来一定的医疗风险。^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] 耳垢是外耳道自然产生的、正常情况下的产物，可保护耳内皮肤，起到润滑和清洁的作用，并提供一些防细菌、真菌、昆虫和水的保护。^[6]^[7]

尝试用棉花棒去除耳垢可能会导致耳垢嵌塞，即耳垢在耳道中积聚或堵塞，从而引起疼痛、听力问题、耳鸣或头晕，并可能需要药物治疗才能解决。^[4]在耳道中使用棉花棒是耳膜穿孔最常见的原因之一，有时耳膜穿孔需要手术来矫正。^[8]

2004 年的一项研究发现，“使用棉花棒清洁耳朵似乎是儿童外耳炎的主要原因，应避免使用”。^[9]相反，淋浴后用毛巾擦去耳垢几乎可以完全清洁耳道外部三分之一的区域，而耳垢正是在这里产生的。^[10]

环境影响

塑胶棉签经常被冲入马桶，增加了海洋污染的风险。一些制造商和零售商已经停止生产和销售塑胶棉签，只销售可生物降解的纸质棉签。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>

欧盟于 2021 年颁布了禁止使用塑胶柄棉签的法令。^[11]意大利先前已于 2019 年颁布了禁令^[12]，摩纳哥也于 2020 年颁布了禁令。^[13]英格兰、^[14]苏格兰、^[15]威尔士、^[16]和马恩岛^[17]均在 2019 年至 2021 年期间颁布了禁令。

另见

参考文献

^ 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 互联网档案馆的存档，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].

外部链接

[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 互联网档案馆的存档，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].

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]