Can you touch mothballs?

If you touch mothballs, naphthalene can enter your body. Low levels of naphthalene have been found in some samples of fatty tissue and breast milk. The body dissolves naphthalene in your blood, which carries it to the liver and other organs. It then passes through your body and exits in the urine and waste matter.

Are mothballs poisonous to touch?

Exposure to these chemicals can be harmful whether you breathe in the vapors or touch them directly with the skin. They are also harmful if ingested, which typically happens accidentally. For example, if you fail to wash your hands after touching a mothball and then handle food.

What should you do if you touch mothballs?

If ingested, seek medical attention immediately! If you have found mothballs, do not touch them with your bare hands: use gloves. Dispose of them in the same way that you dispose of other household hazardous waste. Ensure that you wash your hands afterwards as well.

Can the smell of moth balls hurt you?

Some of the chemicals in mothballs can cause reversible health effects that include headaches, nausea, eye and nose irritation and coughing. Exposure to naphthalene can cause more serious effects, including hemolytic anemia. Naphthalene is also a possible carcinogen.

What happens if you are exposed to mothballs?

Moth balls contain a toxic chemical, either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Both become a gas when exposed to air and cause that pungent moth ball smell. These gases are irritating to the eyes and lungs and may cause headache, dizziness and nausea. They are both suspected of causing cancer.

Simple Garden Hack....Mothballs

How long does it take to get sick from mothballs?

Hemolysis of the red blood cells can occur following exposure to naphthalene by all routes of exposure. When hemolysis or methemoglobinemia occur, the onset of related signs and symptoms usually occurs 1-2 days after exposure because of the slow rate of metabolism of naphthalene to its oxidative metabolites.

How do you use mothballs safely?

Many people forget that mothballs are made of dangerous pesticides and don't take safety precautions when using them. Never use these products out in the open. Instead, place your clothing with the mothballs in a sealed container. Prevent moths by wearing, washing, and drying your clothing regularly.

Why you shouldn't use mothballs?

The fumes from mothballs kill clothes moths, their eggs and larvae that eat natural fibers in indoor storage areas, such as closets, attics and basements. Mothballs are not intended to be used outdoors. The active ingredients can contaminate water and soil, harm wildlife, and contribute to air pollution.

Will mothball smell go away?

Mothball odor is a terrible smell to have clinging to your clothing. And we have some shocking news for you: a single mothball takes about 3-6 months to dissipate completely. If you put the mothball under fabric or someplace where there is no air circulation, it takes about 12 months to dissipate!

Can you use mothballs around the house?

They include squirrels, skunks, deer, mice, rats, dogs, cats, raccoons, moles, snakes, pigeons and a variety of other animals. Any such use is illegal. "A relatively common mistake is placing mothballs in an attic to repel squirrels. This will almost always result in a persistent and noxious odor throughout the home."

How do you get the smell of mothballs off your hands?

Rub paste toothpaste, not gel toothpaste, on your hands. Use a dime-size amount and work the paste through your fingers and around your palms. Rinse well. The smell will be gone.

What gets rid of the smell of mothballs?

To remove these odors, leave out bowls of vinegar or plates of activated charcoal in the affected areas. (Activated charcoal is sold in various pellet sizes and is usually available at pet stores.) You can also try placing containers of coffee grounds or odor-absorbing candles for similar results.

Is naphthalene balls cause death?

The fatal dose for naphthalene in humans is unknown, but as little as one mothball can result in toxicity in children. Deaths have been reported the following ingestion of naphthalene balls. Naphthalene is erratically absorbed when ingested in the pediatric population.

How long do mothballs last in open air?

One mothball in open air takes 3-6 months to dissipate entirely. If you place the mothball underneath clothing or otherwise not in open air, it will take up to 12 months to completely dissipate. The mothball smell stays in your home for months or years after dissipating.

How long do moth balls last?

Mothballs can last up to four to six weeks, and they can last even longer if you store your garments in a tightly sealed container. Regardless of how long the mothballs last before they dissolve, the smell will likely last longer.

Why do I keep smelling mothballs?

Takeaway. Mothball breath is caused by conditions that produce too much mucus in the mouth. Treating the underlying condition will eliminate the smell of mothball breath. Maintaining good oral hygiene habits is also necessary for keeping mothball breath — and all types of bad breath — at bay.

What happens to mothballs left in the open?

Mothballs slowly disappear as they turn into gas and mix with the surrounding air. The time it takes a mothball to vaporize depends on many factors, including how many mothballs are present, the amount of air-flow around the mothballs, and the temperature.

Are mothballs illegal?

Regulation of Mothballs

Using mothballs in a way not specified by the label is not only illegal, but can harm people, pets or the environment. Some mothballs for sale may be illegal, which means they were imported without oversight of the product contents or labeling.

What happens when you put mothballs in water?

At hazardous waste sites and landfills, naphthalene can dissolve in water, attach to soil, and leach into underground drinking water. Some naphthalene dissolves in rivers, lakes, or wells and evaporates within two weeks. Bacteria destroy naphthalene in water.

Is naphthalene safe for humans?

Naphthalene is used in the production of phthalic anhydride; it is also used in mothballs. Acute (short- term) exposure of humans to naphthalene by inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact is associated with hemolytic anemia, damage to the liver, and neurological damage.

How many mothballs can cause death?

A number of deaths have been reported following intentional ingestion of naphthalene-containing mothballs (ATSDR, 1990). The estimated lethal dose of naphthalene is 5-15 g for adults and 2-3 g for children.

Do people get high off mothballs?

July 27, 2006 -- Teens who sniff or chew mothballs to get high may be taking a big health risk. Abusing the chemical in mothballs can cause mental sluggishness, unsteady walking, and skin rashskin rash, warn French doctors who treated a girl hospitalized for the problem in Marseille.

Will Febreze get rid of mothball smell?

Similar to cleaning clothing, I like to spray my furniture with Febreze Fabric or Febreze Fabric Extra Strength depending on the severity of the mothball scent.

Can I put mothballs under my bed?

' and the answer to this question is yes, potentially. 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.

How do you use mothballs in a closet?

Mothballs must be used in an airtight space, such as a garment bag or well- sealed container. Never place mothballs in an open closet or plastic garbage bag. Once vapors enter the home, their odor can persist for a long time.