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面對蚊蟲的肆虐，一般人最常見的動作就是點蚊香或是擦防蚊液，但是你知道嗎？蚊香的成分是一種叫做除蟲菊的殺蟲劑，盡管新聞報導指出要大量吸入才會中毒，畢竟還是屬于化學物質；而把你的防蚊液拿來一看，你也會發現標簽上多寫含有敵避 (DEET) 成分，這種成分對防止蚊蟲叮咬非常有效，但所產生的健康問題也不容忽視。
美國環保署及疾病管制局都宣稱，只要按照指示使用，敵避就不會傷害人體健康，但是他們的說法其實是建立在「敵避并不會經由皮膚吸收」的基礎上；事實是：幾乎所有的化學物質，特別是液狀的，最終都會經由皮膚吸收至血液當中，影響人體健康。盡管敵避驅蚊蟲的效果相當顯著，但你能想象把這些化學物質擦在你的皮膚上、浸泡在你的衣服里、或是用你剛剛抹過這些化學物質的手抓食物吃嗎？
如同 NaturalNews 先前的報導，敵避早就已經證實可能會傷害人類的神經系統，造成癲癇或甚至死亡，其中又以兒童最容易受到影響；因此才有專家呼吁，兒童應該避免使用含有敵避成分的防蚊液。
以下我們就教你有哪些簡單的材料可以使用：
香茅油是市面上常見的防蚊噴霧劑，大部分的蚊蟲都不喜歡香茅油的味道，所以身上噴灑香茅油便可避開它們；但是必須注意使用時可能會因為個人體質不同而造成過敏，所以初次使用時請先以少量進行測試。
檸檬尤加利 (Lemon Eucalyptus) 和檸檬草油 (Lemongrass Oil) 也很方便，只要買回家稍微稀釋即可作為防蚊液使用。混合的比例大概是 6 盎司的容器裝滿水，滴入 8 至 12 滴精油后即可噴灑。
其它如大豆油、肉桂、薄荷、丁香、迷迭香及蓖麻油等也都是很好的天然防蚊成分，市面上也有現成的產品可以購買。
提醒大家：這些天然的精油如果混合防曬乳一起使用，或是不小心淋到雨水，或是經過太長時間，防護的效果都可能因此減弱；所以如果要配合防曬乳使用，請將防蚊液噴灑在衣物上，防曬乳涂抹在你的皮膚上，不要混在一起，才會見效。
當然，除了后天的防護之外，保持居家整潔也是避免蚊蟲叮咬的有效辦法；不想讓住家和辦公處成為蚊子的溫床的話，要確實清掃居住環境附近的積水，庭院的池塘或是泳池要保持在流動狀態、排水溝要保持暢通；另外，枝葉比較茂密的植物也可以定期以天然的殺蟲劑進行噴灑，并避免穿深色衣服 (蚊子喜歡深色) 或在常綠植物附近駐足。
防蚊蟲有許多天然方式，選擇會傷害身體的化學物質應是下下之策，將健康防蚊的方式教導給您，相信在避免蚊蟲叮咬的同時，也可以兼顧健康。
原文閱讀：
1、 Chemical Mosquito Repellant DEET Causes Neurological Damage, Gets Absorbed Through The Skin
All over the country, people are purchasing insect repellent products made with DEET. They are spraying them on their skin, soaking their clothes in the chemicals, and even eating foods after they have spread lotions containing DEET on their bodies with their bare hands. There's little doubt that DEET is effective at repelling insects such as mosquitoes, but growing questions remain about the health consequences of using DEET.
The environmental protection agency and the CDC both state officially that DEET is not harmful when used as directed. However, this advice is based on the idea that DEET is not absorbed through the skin. This is a common myth in the medical and pharmaceutical industries -- that cosmetically-applied lotions somehow stay outside the body and don't interact with the blood stream and internal organs of the body. In fact, as any good medical researcher knows, nearly all chemicals that are placed on the skin, especially in liquid form, are eventually absorbed and enter the bloodstream. DEET is known to cause neurological damage, and once it enters the bloodstream, it makes its way to the nervous system, where it is known to cause seizures and even deaths. It can be especially harmful to children, which is why its use should be strictly limited with children.
Even the EPA says that DEET should not be frequently used -- in other words, they're saying it's okay to poison yourself just a little bit, but not too much. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one application of DEET per day for children. Once again, this is a position that says it's okay to poison your children just a little bit. The Duke University Medical Center has concluded through laboratory rat studies that long-term use of DEET kills brain neurons.
People who are interested in protecting their health, and who don't want to give themselves cancer or liver damage from products containing toxic chemicals like DEET, typically want to know what kind of products they can use as a replacement for commercial, brand-name insect repellents. One of the best products is simply soybean oil. Soybean oil insect repellants may often contain cloves, cinnamon oil or other extracts containing rather strong oils from the natural plant kingdom. These repellants do work, but certainly not as effectively as DEET.
There's no question that DEET is a highly effective insect repellant, and that's probably because its neurotoxicity extends to insects as well as human beings. If you coat your body with something that kills nerve cells, and kills anything around it, it will also cause insects and other animals to retreat. But it doesn't mean that these items should be put on your skin. If you want to avoid mosquitoes, stick with natural products and avoid products containing toxic chemicals such as DEET.
2、 Natural Mosquito Repellents You Can Use Right Now
Have you ever looked at the back of a bottle of insect repellent you might have purchased in the store? You`ll see chemical names like N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, N-diethyl-3-methyl-benzamide, 2-hydroxyethyl, and 1-methylpropyl ester.
Do you have any idea what those are? Most people don`t, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency`s website, the first two are the chemical names for DEET and the other two for Picaridin.
The EPA`s own study of DEET in 1998 found that it poses no specific risk to humans provided it is not worn for long periods of time and is used as a topical repellent only. Their tests of both DEET and Picaridin show them to only be "slightly toxic" when ingested.
This could be worse, but if you`re not interested in even slightly exposing your family to questionable chemicals--especially if a proven alternative exists--then there are ways to avoid them. Why expose yourself or your children to potentially toxic chemicals if you don`t have to?
Prevention First
The first step in keeping mosquitoes from biting is to not have them around in the first place. Your home, place of business, etc. might be a mosquito breeding ground. Drain or clean up any standing water.
If you have ponds or non-chlorinated pools, consider a circulation system to keep them fresh and clean.
Keep the gutters around your home clear of debris.
Two other attractants are evergreens (especially the heavy foliage types) and dark clothing. Consider using a natural insect killer like diatomaceous earth (DE) to treat your trees and shrubs. Finally, avoid dark clothing if possible, as it`s a natural visual cue for mosquitoes.
Natural Insecticides
There are a lot of natural insecticides you could turn to for help in keeping the pesky mosquitoes away as well. Many are available as topical oils and creams for ready use off the pharmacy or health store shelf. Others can be quickly (and easily) made at home from essential (non-dilute) oils.
Citronella Oil is commonly seen in sprays off the shelf, as candles you can burn to keep mosquitoes at bay, and even as scented hangers that react with the air to exude the scent. Most types of flying insects dislike the smell of citronella and will avoid it. Beware of allergies to this oil, however, and make sure to try only small amounts on a "test area" before applying whole hog.
Lemon Eucalyptus is another extremely popular essential oil. It can be found in many off-the-shelf sprays and creams. The base oil can be purchased and diluted in water. A 6oz spray bottle of water can have a few drops (maybe 8-12) of lemon eucalyptus added and sprayed on as a repellent.
Lemongrass Oil is another, similar repellent that can be used as lemon eucalyptus above. Cinnamon, Peppermint, Clove, Rosemary, and Castor oil are also popular alternatives, readily available in health food stores and pharmacies.
Many others are also available and popular, with varying degrees of success. Many oils can be mixed to create a pleasant scent to go along with the repellent as well.
There are many natural alternatives to spraying or rubbing on combination repellent/sunscreen as well, all of which can be just as effective as the chemicals in the commercial sprays. Be aware that mixing repellents with sunscreen, diluting with rain or sweat, and even time can reduce their effectiveness. If you`re using sunscreen as well as your natural repellent, put the repellent on clothing and use the sunscreen to protect your skin.
Make sure to have fun and enjoy the outdoors this summer, and stay protected too!
