Mothballs
Pronunciation:MOTH-ballz
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:None
Formal Names:Naphthalene, Paradichlorobenzene
Type:Inhalant.Seepage 26
Federal Schedule Listing:Unlisted
USA Availability:Generally available nonprescription product
Pregnancy Category:None
Uses.Mothballs typically contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Nei-
ther persons who use mothballs recreationally nor their medical caregivers are
always aware of which kind of mothballs have been used. Diaper pail and
toilet deodorizers may contain one or the other of those chemicals. Naphtha-
lene varieties look dry, and paradichlorobenzene products appear oily. Nor-
mally people inhale fumes, but cases of oral ingestion are known. Naphthalene
can also be absorbed through the skin; an infant died from using diapers and
blankets contaminated with the substance. Some glues contain naphthalene,
but sensations from glue sniffing are normally considered a result oftoluene.
Drawbacks.Naphthalene may create agitation and tiredness, fever, skin
paleness, headache, appetite loss, abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting,
diarrhea, cataracts, and kidney failure. Blood disorders serious enough to pre-
vent the body from utilizing enough oxygen from the lungs may arise. The
kidney failure can create excessive blood potassium levels, which in turn can
cause heart failure. Seizures and coma may also occur. Jaundice is a known
affliction from naphthalene, and a case report notes fatal liver damage.
A case report tells about difficulty with control of fingers due to inhaling
mothball fumes. Paradichlorobenzene is not associated with such an affliction,
so the problem is assumed to have come from naphthalene mothballs. Com-
pared to naphthalene, harm from paradichlorobenzene normally takes longer
to appear but may include liver and kidney malfunction. A case of anemia is
known from eating two paradichlorobenzene toilet freshener blocks per week.
Abuse factors.One person experienced tremors and weariness upon stop-
ping daily oral ingestion of paradichlorobenzene mothballs (which suggests
dependence may have developed).
Drug interactions:Not enough scientific information to report.
Cancer.Naphthalene has not been found to cause cancer. Paradichloroben-