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Lifestyle and Diet
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
Mothballs are sold as small white balls containing 99.9% either of naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (PDCB), both of which become a gas with pungent odor when exposed to air. Mothballs are used to repel moths in clothing and stored carpets and to keep pests out of the house (170). The majority of exposure to naphthalene in the environment occurs through inhalation, while other pathways such as dermal contact and ingestion are rare. Naphthalene is recently classified as a possible human carcinogen (171–172). Naphthalene exposure can cause hemolytic anemia due to destruction of red blood cells with apparition of jaundice and pallor. It is also neurotoxic. Small children may eat mothballs, thinking them candy (170). Para-dichlorobenzene (PDCB) is another ingredient of mothballs used as deodorizers and fumigants. PDCB toxicity can affect liver, kidneys, skin, lungs, and the central nervous system (CNS). Chronic toxicity of PDCB often results in leukoencephalopathy, ataxia, and heterogeneous neurological manifestations (173–175). Mothballs containing either PDCB or naphthalene, can cause cancer in animals, and are potential human carcinogens (170–172). So, be careful when using mothballs as moth or pest repellents. Due to the toxicity of naphthalene and para-dichlorobenzene, avoid the use of mothballs if you have a chronic disease, or infants and children in the house. Replace mothballs by cedar chips (170).
Identification of mothball powder composition by float tests and melting point tests
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2018
Mothballs are composed of either camphor, naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Mothballs sold in developed nations typically contain naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene. Accidental ingestion of mothballs of unknown composition is common in children. Naphthalene ingestion may cause haemolytic anaemia and methemoglobinemia, while camphor ingestion may cause central nervous system depression and seizure. Paradichlorobenzene ingestion is relatively benign. Recently, we reported a psychiatric patient who had ground up naphthalene mothballs and ingested 60 g of the powder. He developed haemolytic anaemia and presented with dark urine [1]. A woman without glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency who accidentally ingested two powdered naphthalene mothballs mixed in 5 ml of coconut oil developed severe haemolytic anaemia [2]. Naphthalene powder can be purchased on the internet for use as a surfactant, as a fumigant, and to create special pyrotechnic effects such as the generation of ‘black smoke’ [3]. Camphor powder can be obtained online for use in medicine and religious purposes in some countries [4]. Occasionally after the accidental chewing of mothballs by children, only tiny fragmented remnants were left for examination. To identify the compositions of intact mothballs, various tests, including the melting point test, the float test using a saturated salt solution, the float test using a 50% dextrose solution (D50), the color change test with the addition of chloroform, the flame test, and the turpentine solubility test, have been described [5–10]. Small amounts (0.1–0.3 g) of unknown mothballs could be differentiated into paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene by melting point tests [5]. Mothballs fragmented by a hammer were differentiated by float tests in a recent study [11]. However, to date, no study has identified the composition of unknown mothballs in powdered form, i.e., naphthalene powder, paradichlorobenzene powder and camphor powder. Of the various tests listed above, the melting point test and the float test are practical, and the required materials are readily available in homes and emergency departments. Float tests have the advantage of being able to identify all three compositions of intact mothballs while melting point tests can only differentiate between naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene mothballs. Therefore, we studied whether melting point tests and float tests could successfully differentiate paradichlorobenzene powder from non-paradichlorobenzene powder (naphthalene powder and camphor powder), and compared the pros and cons of these methods.