What Are The Dangers of Moth Balls?
More and more people today are realizing the dangers of moth balls. Moth balls are a chemical product that has traditionally been used to rid the inside of homes from insects and other pests. Today, most people recognize the danger and risk that moth ball chemicals pose to humans, pets and especially children. If you are currently using moth balls, or any other chemical product, you should seriously consider switching to a less harmful approach to rid your home of pests.
The Use of Moth Balls
Moth balls were originally designed to prevent the nesting and feeding habits of moths, but many people use this product to also remove birds, rodents and reptiles. Moth balls are easily recognizable as small balls made up of a white material with a distinctive sweet smell. The chemical responsible for this sweet smell and the ability to remove pests from the surrounding area is a chemical known as naphthalene. Naphthalene is one of the most highly manufactured chemicals in the United States and is used for a variety of purposes. This chemical is very hazardous to living creatures, including humans.
Naphthalene
There are many reasons why the chemical naphthalene is considered to be a dangerous compound. First it is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a bioaccumulative chemical, meaning that repeated exposure to the chemical results in an accumulation of the chemical within the body. This also occurs because the chemical does not easily metabolize in the body, so it is not removed once it is ingested. It also does not break down in the environment, meaning the chemical compounds stick around the area for a long time. This also means that when moth balls seep into the ground water they can end up poisoning the entire supply. Because of these factors, the EPA has listed naphthalene as a high priority PBT or toxic chemical.
Exposure to the chemical naphthalene can have many negative side effects on the human body. It can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled directly into the lungs. Symptoms of exposure to naphthalene in smaller amounts can range from restlessness and fatigue, to pale skin and a loss of appetite. Larger amounts of the chemical can lead to damage of the red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body, nausea, diarrhea, blood in the urine and vomiting. These symptoms are especially dangerous to infants and unborn babies. Exposure to very large amounts of this chemical can result in delayed intravascular hemolysis, where the red blood cells can break down. This can lead to fever, anemia, liver and kidney damage and jaundice. For all of these reasons, the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OHSA) consider naphthalene to be a very dangerous chemical in both large and small amounts. Moth balls also contain another extremely dangerous chemical known as para dichlorobenzene (PDB), which can also cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, weight loss, anorexia and in some cases death.
Avoiding the Danger
So how can you avoid the dangers of moth balls? Remove any moth ball product from your home, school or business and dispose of the product properly. You may need to check with your local toxic waste disposal company for instructions. Simply throwing moth balls away will present a danger to other people and should be avoided. Research some of the alternative methods to rid your home of pests. There are many methods that are not only more effective, but much safer as well. Removing these dangerous chemicals is especially necessary if there are infants, children and pregnant mothers in the home. Educating yourself, your family and other people is the best way to avoid the many dangers of moth balls.