In the hot summer, my mother basks in the sun on the quilt pillow at home as usual.
Mom smiled and said, "This is the unique 'sun smell' of a sun-dried quilt." ”
Xiao Wang tilted his head and asked, "Then where does this 'sun smell' come from?" He felt that it smelled so good, and he had to find out where it came from.
The mother thought for a while and said uncertainly: "I heard that this is because the sun has roasted all the mites in the quilt, and the smell is actually emitted by the corpses of mites."
When Xiao Wang heard this, his eyes widened, and he said in surprise: "What! Every time we smell dead mites?" This answer made his curiosity even stronger.
Xiao Wang is curious about the origin of the "sun smell", but also doubts whether it comes from dead mites. Seeing Xiao Wang's puzzled expression, my mother said gently: "Actually, I'm not sure about the origin of 'Sun Flavor'.
Why don't you investigate this question yourself and see what the real scientific conclusions are.
Early the next morning, Xiao Wang came to the city library and consulted a lot of information about mites and the "smell of the sun". It turns out that dust mites are the most common type of mites in the living environment, with a body size of only 0.1-0.5 mm, and they like to parasitize in mattresses, pillows and bedding.
There may be 10,000 on one square meter of carpet.
Xiao Wang learned that scientific experiment data show that even if the quilt is dried for two hours on a hot day, the temperature can only rise to about 22 degrees Celsius, which is far from the 50 degrees Celsius that dust mites can bear.
In other words, sunlight is basically not lethal to dust mites. Even if a few mites are roasted to death, they mainly produce a scorched smoke smell, which is completely different from the fresh smell of the quilt.
This made Xiao Wang more suspicious of the claim that the "sun smell" came from dust mites. He decided to continue to delve into the real reasons for this problem.
In order to find out the cause of the "sun flavor", Xiao Wang collected more relevant information. He calculated that the number of dust mites and their total protein on a quilt was very limited, and even if they were all roasted to death, it would be difficult to produce a noticeable odor.
This further confirms that the "sun smell" does not come from dust mites. Xiao Wang strengthened his determination to find the truth.
Later, Xiao Wang read the latest research results of Danish scientists on the origin of "sun flavor". The researchers have done the following experiments:
First, they prepared 3 identical towels and washed them carefully with deionized water to make sure the towels were free of any impurities. Then, dry 3 towels indoors, outdoors in the shade and in direct sunlight.
It turned out that only the piece of towel that was exposed to direct sunlight produced a unique aroma. This shows that the "sun smell" is related to sunlight.
In order to further find out the composition of the taste, the scientists did another experiment: three towels were put into a plastic bag, and air was injected into the bag to make the volatiles on the towel enter the gas, and then the gas was collected from the outlet for analysis.
The results showed that towels exposed to direct sunlight produced a series of aromatic volatile compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. These are the result of photochemical reactions of dyes and softeners on towels under ultraviolet light.
Xiao Wang suddenly realized that it was the ultraviolet rays that triggered these compounds to react, causing them to enter a high-energy excitation state, and react with the surface of the towel to produce aromas.
This is where the "sun smell" really comes from, and it has nothing to do with dust mites.
Through this scientific research, Xiao Wang is completely convinced that the "sun smell" is produced by the sun's rays changing the composition of the quilt itself. He happily told his mother about the discovery.
Although the "smell of the sun" has nothing to do with mites, Xiao Wang also found in the process of investigation that mites are indeed everywhere and cause many harms to human life.
Data shows that 97% of adults have Demodex mites, which live directly in human sebaceous glands and hair follicles. More common are dust mites, which can live on the surface of the skin, nasal cavity, ear canal, etc.
Xiao Wang himself has a slight dust mite allergy and often sneezes indoors. It turned out that it could be an allergic reaction caused by dust mites. Statistics show that about 10-30% of people will develop allergies to dust mites to varying degrees.
If people with allergies come into contact with dust mites, they may experience symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, and itchy eyes. In severe cases, it may also lead to asthma attacks, allergic rhinitis and other diseases, which seriously affects the quality of life.
In addition to being directly parasitic on the human body, dust mites also contain allergens in their excrement and posthumous remains, which can also cause a series of allergic reactions after contact.
After learning this information, Xiao Wang realized that although the "sun smell" has nothing to do with mites, he still needs to take measures to remove mites from his living environment and strengthen his own resistance.
He is determined to develop good hygiene Xi habits, frequent ventilation, and appropriate use of mite removal products to improve his allergies.
Although it was found that mites did have various problems, through this scientific exploration of the source of the "sun flavor", Xiao Wang was more convinced that the "sun flavor" had nothing to do with mites.
He told his mother the results of the study in detail, and pointed out that sunlight simply changed the chemical composition of the quilt itself, causing them to photochemically react and produce that distinctive smell.
Not from any mites.
After listening to Xiao Wang's explanation, my mother was very pleased with his spirit of actively exploring problems. She praised Xiao Wang for not believing unsubstantiated claims, but by reading scientific literature to find the real answer to the question by himself.
She said that she would take Xiao Wang as a lesson and not easily believe some unverified claims in the future. He also told Xiao Wang to remember the importance of scientific inquiry and continue to maintain his enthusiasm for knowledge and exploring the mysteries of the world.
Xiao Wang nodded, determined that if he encountered any doubts in the future, he would explore the root of the problem as he did this time to find the truth of the "Sun Flavor", instead of following the trend.
He also wants to pass on this spirit of scientific inquiry to more people.
Through this exploration of the source of "sun flavor", Xiao Wang and his mother both understood the double meaning of drying bedding.
On the one hand, an appropriate amount of drying will not produce any peculiar smell, but can kill mites and other pathogens in the bedding through the effect of sunlight disinfection, which has a good sterilization effect.
On the other hand, sun exposure will also change the chemicals in the bedding, producing that unique aroma that adds a little freshness to life.
Mom said that in the future, she will maintain the good Xi of drying bedding regularly. It can not only eliminate mites, but also give the futon a sunny breath. The right amount of solar energy brings positive energy, which is a small trick to improve the quality of life.
Xiao Wang also said that he would bask in the sun more on the premise of protecting his eyesight. In addition to exercising, you should also fully enjoy the good time of drying your bedding in the sun.
This exploration of the source of the "sun flavor" made Xiao Wang more confident in his scientific spirit. Every time we explore the mysteries of the world, we will benefit us a lot.
Xiao Wang is determined to continue to maintain his thirst for knowledge and actively explore the questions in life. Only by verifying every unsubstantiated statement with a scientific attitude can we find the truth of the problem.
In this era of information explosion, it is even more necessary for us to be like Xiao Wang, not to believe rumors, and to have the courage to explore the origin of things. Only by using scientific thinking and getting to the bottom of the problem can we truly understand the mysteries of the world.
Xiao Wang believes that as long as all people can develop the Xi of scientific inquiry, our lives will become more rational and this society will be more progressive.