It's Time to Get Rid of Those Mothballs

Wearing clothes with moth-munched marks on them is like delivering a joke in bad taste. That is why many people turn to mothballs to secure their clothespress from being infested by moth larvae. However, while mothballs do repel moths and keep them away from your wardrobe, they also present serious health risks because of the chemicals they are known to be made of.

Either one of two chemicals makes up mothballs: naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (para-DCB). Chemical studies have proven that naphthalene can cause hemolytic anemia - an illness associated with most kidney failures - because the chemical can destroy red blood cells. An extended exposure to naphthalene can also increase the risk of developing cataracts. Para-DCB, though less toxic, carries the ugly tag of being a carcinogen - a cancer-causing substance.

Other maladies linked to exposure to mothball vapors include irritation and infection of the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. What may ensue can range from the simple headache to the more serious harm on kidneys and liver.

Enough warnings have been made about dressing young children in clothes kept for some time in a clothes cabinet with mothballs in it. This is because young children are more susceptible to the ill effects of mothball vapors. Poisoning from mothballs among children is even a scarier prospect. There were reports of children severely poisoned by mothballs after mistaking the tiny round balls for candies and ingesting them. When this happens, there should be no second thoughts about calling for an emergency medical help. A child who ingests a mothball will immediately exhibit its effects by vomiting continuously, and may subsequently experience a seizure.