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The Effects of Smelling Moth Balls

Moth balls are potent herbicides used in storage areas to deter or kill moths and other cloth-damaging insects. Moth balls are almost entirely the active ingredient naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. The solid spheres are placed in an air tight container where they degrade into a noxious gas that insects instinctively avoid. Smelling moth balls has health impacts on human beings, directly correlating to the exposure time.

  1. Acute Exposure

    • Smelling either type of moth balls causes irritation to the mucus membranes, nose, throat and lungs. Naphthalene is a neurotoxin, so acute inhalation exposure causes headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, vomiting and confusion. Naphthalene vapors also causes cataracts. Paradichlorobenzene inhalation causes headaches, fatigue and severe eye irritations

    Prolonged exposure

    • Extended exposure to moth ball fumes damages retinas, kidneys and the liver. The chance of cataracts increases, and skin rashes are likely to form. Naphthalene supports red blood cell breakdown, causing hemolytic anemia. Symptoms of hemolytic anemia range from fatigue to decreased oxygen in the tissues and acute kidney failure. Naphthalene vapors also causes depression in adults and brain damage in infants.

    Cancer Risks

    • Naphthalene have created cancerous tumors in air passages of animals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization recognize it as a possible carcinogen until studies provide more conclusive data on human beings. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, paradichlorobenzene has caused cancer in mice. The World Health Organization recognizes it as possible carcinogen; currently, the EPA does not.

    Tips for Moth Ball Use

    • Anyone smelling moth balls is exposed to the vapors. Moth balls should be used in air tight containers to keep fumes enclosed. These containers should be placed in a well-ventilated area, out of the reach of children and pets. Moth balls should never be scattered around the house or the yard, because the chemicals will leech into the air and carpet or soil. Stored items must be washed thoroughly before the first use. Households with children should consider cleaner storage habits or using safer alternatives, such as cedar shavings, to deter pests.

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