In this winter of freezing hands and feet, you think that everything will be fine if you hide in the heating room, but it is not. When entering the room, we will encounter some small troubles: when we wear clothes, comb our hair, and touch the doorknob, we may hear a "crackling" sound, and even feel an electric shock-like tingle. These phenomena are caused by static electricity.
What is static electricity
Matter is made up of atoms, which have a large number of positive and negative charges. In general, the positive and negative charges are in equilibrium, i.e., the object is not charged. However, due to the fact that different objects have different degrees of electron activity, the phenomenon of charge imbalance will occur.
For example, when we wear and wear clothes, the body is in a state of positive and negative charge balance, but due to the phenomenon of mutual friction when wearing and wearing, some of the charges on the body will be transferred to the clothes, because the clothes are insulating, the charge transferred by the body will be firmly adsorbed to the clothes, which will cause the body and the clothes to produce excess positive or negative charges, that is, static electricity.
When static electricity is generated, there will be an electrostatic discharge process, which is what we usually call the phenomenon of "being electrified". And the spark we see when we are "electrified" is the route that this instantaneous electric current travels.
Why is there a lot of static electricity in winter
In winter, we like to stay in the heating room, but the air in the heating room is drier. China's "Indoor Air Quality Standard" (GB T 18883-2022) recommends that the indoor relative humidity in winter is 30% to 60%.
In winter, the air in most cities across the country is relatively dry. Generally, the humidity of the air in the heating room is less than 30%, because the droplets of the air transfer charge are very small, which is not conducive to the transfer of charge, so it is easy to generate static electricity. In other words, the drier the environment, the more likely it is to generate static electricity.
What are the effects of static electricity on the body
Static electricity in our lives can have some effects on our body.
Effects on the heart
The elderly are relatively dry, coupled with the influence of cardiovascular aging and other factors, and are easily attacked by static electricity. For older people with cardiovascular disease, static electricity can easily aggravate or induce arrhythmias. In addition, static electricity can also cause palpitation, heartache, etc.
Effect on **
Static electricity can cause itching, because long-lasting static electricity will increase the alkalinity of the blood, the calcium content in the serum will decrease, and the excretion of calcium will increase, resulting in itching. At the same time, static electricity will adsorb the dust suspended in the air, causing the dust to be adsorbed on the **, and over time, irritation**, it will cause itching. For those who frequently use computers, mobile phones, and household appliances, static electricity can easily cause itchy facial symptoms.
Effects on the brain
Static electricity can cause changes in the electrical conduction of nerve cell membranes, affect the central nervous system of people, pose a potential threat to patients with severe neurasthenia, and can cause headaches and sleep disorders.
How to reduce the effects of static electricity
Although static electricity has a certain effect on the body, there is no need to panic. In life, we can greatly reduce or avoid the troubles caused by static electricity by doing the following.
Timely transfer of accumulated static electricity
The most effective way to transfer static electricity is to increase the humidity of indoor air, such as placing hydroponic plants indoors, putting a few pots of clean water, dragging the ground twice, and raising ornamental fish. Households with conditions can use humidifiers or anti-static sprays.
In order to avoid being "electrocuted", you can use metal devices (such as keys) or cotton rags to touch doorknobs, faucets, etc. in your daily life, and then touch them with your hands. An easier way to do this is to touch the wall first, then the other objects.
Avoid accumulating too much static electricity
Compared with chemical fiber materials and fur materials, cotton clothes or clothes made of electrostatic materials are less likely to accumulate static electricity. In addition, bathing and changing clothes frequently are also ways to quickly eliminate static electricity accumulated on the body surface.
Text: Qingdao Center for Disease Control and Prevention.