Pillow--a
neglected health killer (Adapted from October 23, 2005: Reference News.)
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American Life Science Network said a vital health undermining
ecosystem is located in our pillows. They said as a complete ecosystem, the
pillow contains lots of insects and other virulent epiphytes. According to
their investigations, there are at least 1 million epiphyte spores in a pillow.
In addition, they found lots of dust mites in pillows and other bed appliances.
Dust mite is a kind of animalcule, very small like spider, relaxing on our skin
scraps. The Principal of this Research Project Mr. Ashley Wood from the
University of Manchester said pillows are seedbeds for dust mites living on
epiphytes. Another saying said dejections of dust mites and other human skin
scraps are their (epiphytes) primary source of food. Anyway, there is a micro
ecosystem in our pillows. Ashley coupled with his colleagues made a test. They
selected some pillows made of feathers and human synthetic fibre as samples
(used time: 1.5-20 years) and began their experiments.
At last, they found bend mildew is the most common epiphyte in the
pillow, also the most infected epiphyte. In fact, bend mildew is also one of
the most infected epiphytes causing the death of leukaemia patients and bone
marrow transfer patients. The epiphyte also could pick up the degradation of
asthma. They found more epiphytes in pillows made of synthetic fibre than
pillows made of other materials. It’s not the first investigation addressing
such a conclusion. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
addressed a similar in one of its investigation reports in 2000 that over 22
million Chinese families?beds are dense areas of dust mites, possible to cause
the disease of asthma. That’s why the hospital covers a plastic film on their
pillows. However, after the patients come back home, usually their immunity
systems are not very strong to resist the epiphytes in their old pillows. NIEHS
suggested patients to change their bed articles to some anti-epiphyte ones.
They should clean their bed articles every week. Also they should periodically
dedust and clean and disinfect their carpets with steam.
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枕头--被忽视的健康杀手（选自2005年10月23日《参考消息》）
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据美国生活科学网站介绍，致命生态系统在你的枕头里。一份最新研究说，你最喜欢的枕头里有一个完整的生态系统，里面有恶心的虫子，可能还有致命的真菌。研究者发现，在一个最普通的枕头里有超过100万个真菌孢子。这还不算，一些其他研究已经发现，枕头和其他床上用品里藏匿着尘螨，尘螨是一种形如蜘蛛的微小生物，他们以人体皮肤上掉落的小细屑为食。研究负责人、曼彻斯特大学的阿什利·伍德科克说：我们知道枕头是以真菌为食的尘螨的温床。现在一种说法是：真菌反过来又以尘螨的粪便（以及人类皮屑）作为氮和营养的主要来源。因此在我们枕头里面有一个微型的生态系统。伍德科克和他的同事测试了羽毛及人工合成纤维枕头，样本使用时间从1.5年至20年。研究者说，枕头里最常见的真菌是曲霉菌，也是最容易引发疾病的一种真菌。事实上，曲霉菌还是白血病人与骨髓移植病人感染致死的主要因素。真菌还会导致哮喘恶化。该研究发现，人工合成纤维枕头内的真菌更多。不过这并非第一份指出该问题的研究。全国环境卫生科学研究所在2000年进行的研究就说过，2200万中国家庭的床是尘螨过敏源集中之地，甚至超出了会引发哮喘症状的水平。科学家说，医院会特意在枕头上覆上塑料膜。不过，病人回家后通常免疫系统还比较虚弱，他们自己的枕头可能会对他们造成感染。全国环境卫生科学研究所说，你可以采取行动。我们可以选用防菌的床上用品。至少每周以热水清洗一次床上用品。定期为地毯洗尘和进行蒸汽清洗。
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