What happens if you touch moth balls

These mothballs will eventually start to negatively impact the occupants of the home and even pets in the household in some cases. The use of mothballs in the safe, confined space of your home can present many potential health risks and problems, especially with improper use of this chemical pesticide. According to the National Pesticide Information Center NPIC , the chemicals use in mothballs can be toxic to humans and pets and as people are exposed to these chemicals that are released as toxic fumes in the air space of the home.

As we discussed previously, when mothballs are improperly used and are not placed within an airtight, sealed container, the mothball chemicals will rush into the air of your indoor space and lead to compromised indoor air quality and strong potent chemical smells in the environment.

If you smell mothballs in the air of your home then you are being exposed to these chemicals in your indoor environment. Some of these chemicals used in mothballs can cause adverse health effects such as headaches, nausea, eye and nose irritation and coughing, in some cases. The chemicals in mothballs, such as 1,4-dichlorobenzene is designed to slowly sublimate from a solid ball into a toxic gas, which will then act as an effective insecticide.

When these chemicals release into the air it can be termed off-gassing, which is a process in where solid or liquid chemicals turn into a gas or vapor as it acclimates to regulated indoor temperatures.

Typically, mothball smell will usually be described as a sour, pungent, chemical smell that will be associated with things like closets and storage units. If you have ever smelled mothballs before than you will know exactly this odor that we are describing, and worst of all the smell will spread like wildfire in the air of your home and ultimately end up tainting the entire smell in the home.

When it comes to how long mothball smell will last in the air space of your home, this can be an ambiguous timeframe that will depend on various factors inside the home, such as how much mothballs were used in the indoor space, the airflow and ventilation in the home, and solutions that are used to combat this odor. As the mothballs sublimate and turn into a gas this process is expected to last for over four to six weeks, however, the smell can linger in the air of the home for years in some extreme cases.

Therefore, if you are dealing with mothball smell in your home it may be necessary to turn to mitigation solutions that will actually attack and neutralize the odor completely from the airspace of your home. The process of getting rid of mothball smell in your home can be a thorough and extensive process for any homeowner. There are various different types of mothballs that can be used in a home, all consisting of specific chemical structures, which will require various solutions to removing the toxins and odors in the air produced from the mothballs.

Camphor mothballs, a new popular type of mothball used in homes today, will produce solid particulate matter into the air, as well as emits a strong chemical odor into the air that can all lead to adverse impacts on indoor air quality and human health. These two pollutants produced from camphor mothballs can often times be mitigated through the use of powerful, effective air purifiers that work to attack and remove these two forms of pollutants from the air.

Although there are various different types of air purifiers available on the market today, they each will work to attack specific pollutants in the air, whether that be pollutants, odors, chemicals, and particulate matters from the air space. However, when it comes to an air purifier that is effective at removing mothball smell and pollutants from the air, you will need to look for an air purifier that primarily focuses on odor and chemical neutralization, as well as particulate removal in the air.

The EnviroKlenz Air Purifier is an effective and safe air purifier that helps to remove VOCs and noxious odors from the air of an indoor environment. The EnviroKlenz technology is unlike any other air purification technology, it uses a patented earth mineral technology that effectively contains and neutralizes chemicals and noxious odors through adsorptive neutralization.

When it comes to the chemical odor produced from terpenoids, the EnviroKlenz Air Cartridge contained in the air purifier will effectively work to contain and neutralize the terpenoid from the air, thus removing the pollutant and chemical odor from the environment.

Contact Blog Testimonials Newsroom 0 Items. Is it Safe to Have Mothballs in the House? Mothballs and other products containing naphthalene are solids that turn into toxic gas.

The toxic gas kills insects and may repel animals. There are over a dozen products containing naphthalene registered for use by the U. Environmental Protection Agency U. Always follow label instructions and take steps to avoid exposure. If any exposures occur, be sure to follow the First Aid instructions on the product label carefully.

For additional treatment advice, contact the Poison Control Center at If you wish to discuss a pesticide problem , please call When naphthalene gas is inhaled, the body breaks it down into other chemicals that react with cells in the body and damage tissues.

How naphthalene kills moths is not understood. The odor is thought to be unpleasant enough to drive animals away in repellent products.

You can be exposed to a pesticide if you breathe it in, get it on your skin, or if you accidentally eat or drink something containing a pesticide. This can happen if you get some on your hands and don't wash them before eating or smoking. People are most likely to be exposed to naphthalene by breathing in the vapors. When you smell mothballs , you are inhaling the pesticide. Small children and pets are at risk of eating mothballs, because they look like candy or other treats.

If someone breathes in enough of the vapor or eats a mothball containing naphthalene, they might develop hemolytic anemia. This is when red blood cells break apart, and no longer carry oxygen the way they should. Small children have also developed diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and painful urination with discolored urine after eating naphthalene mothballs.

Dogs that have eaten naphthalene mothballs may have lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and tremors. Clothing that was stored in mothballs without being washed afterwards has caused anemia in infants who wore the clothing, diapers or blankets. People with an inherited enzyme deficiency are at much greater risk of anemia than people with normal enzyme levels. In humans, naphthalene is broken down to alpha-naphthol, which is linked to the development of hemolytic anemia.

Latham MD. The Harriet Lane Handbook. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap 3. Levine MD. Chemical injuries. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Lewis JH. Liver disease caused by anesthetics, chemicals, toxins, and herbal preparations. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Meehan TJ. Approach to the poisoned patient. Editorial team. Naphthalene poisoning Moth balls; Moth flakes; Camphor tar. Poisonous Ingredient Naphthalene is the poisonous ingredient.

Where Found Naphthalene can be found in: Moth repellent Toilet bowl deodorizers Other household products, such as paints, glues, and automotive fuel treatments Note: Naphthalene can sometimes be found in household products abused as inhalants. Symptoms Stomach problems may not occur until 2 days after coming in contact with the poison.

They can include: Abdominal pain Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea The person may also have a fever. Over time, the following symptoms also may occur: Coma Confusion Convulsions Drowsiness Headache Increased heart rate tachycardia Low blood pressure Low urine output may stop completely Pain when urinating may be blood in the urine Shortness of breath Yellowing of skin jaundice Note: People with a condition called glucosephosphate dehydrogenase deficiency are more vulnerable to the effects of naphthalene.

Before Calling Emergency Determine the following information: Person's age, weight, and condition Name of the product ingredients and strengths, if known Time it was swallowed Amount swallowed.