What Are the Dangers of Short-Term Exposure to Moth Ball Fumes?

Many people are aware that long-term exposure to moth balls can cause organ failure and cancer, but few people realize that even short-term exposure is risky. Briefly handling moth balls or inhaling their fumes can cause immediate health problems as well as long-term illness. Cedar and cloves are equally effective moth deterrents that don't pose dangerous health risks.

Nausea and Vomiting

• Moth balls contain the chemical paradichlorobenzene (PDB), and short-term exposure to this substance can cause nausea, headaches and vomiting. These symptoms are frequently the result of neurological damage. Most people are exposed to PDB by inhaling the fumes of moth balls, but others may ingest tiny quantities of moth ball residue from their hands and clothes.

Hemolytic Anemia

• Naphthalene, a chemical in most moth balls, is dangerous even in small, short-term inhalation doses. This substance can cause hemolytic anemia, a condition that destroys red blood cells. Exposure to naphthalene can even affect fetuses in pregnant women who inhale moth balls. These children are at a much higher risk for hemolytic anemia.

Organ Damage

• Exposure to naphthalene and PDB can cause damage to major organs in the body, especially the liver and kidneys. This exposure does not need to be long term to cause damage, and inhaling, touching or ingesting moth balls all put people at risk of organ damage.

Eye Damage

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that short-term exposure to moth ball fumes can cause cataracts, and long-term exposure may cause damage to the retina.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

• Lymphoma is a cancer that affects the lymph system, which is an integral part of the body's immune response. Reports of non-Hodgkin lymphoma have risen since the 1970s, at the same time that the use of pesticides like moth balls has increased.