What happens if u lick a mothball?

As little as one mothball can be toxic when swallowed. The chemicals can harm blood cells. Effects may not appear for up to five days after a mothball is eaten.

What happens if you lick a mothball?

A little sniff or lick might cause mild self-limiting signs such as nausea, vomiting and respiratory irritation. However, ingestion may lead to severe poisoning. Naphthalene damages red blood cells causing them to rupture – a condition known as haemolytic anaemia.

Are moth balls harmful to humans?

The chemicals in mothballs are toxic to humans and pets. People are exposed to the chemicals in mothballs by inhaling the fumes. If you smell mothballs, you are being exposed to these chemicals. Children or pets sometimes mistake mothballs for food or candy and eat them, which can cause serious effects.

Is mothball a drug?

"The mothballs contained paradichlorobenzene (PDB) as the only active substance," Feuillet and colleagues continue. "It turned out that both sisters had been encouraged by classmates to use mothballs as a recreational drug," they add. Blood and urine tests confirmed the diagnosis.

Can you touch moth balls with your hands?

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.

Mothballs - How do they work?

How long are mothballs toxic?

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.

Is mothball addictive?

Naphthalene or mothballs, a commonly used substance in households and freely available in the market is an uncommon form of inhalant abuse which may lead to severe medical complications. We report an adolescent with addiction to naphthalene balls who developed severe anemia.

What happens if you smoke a mothball?

Effects and Risks

Like many inhalants, mothballs cause lightheadedness, dizziness and lethargy when abused. Headaches, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain are also common symptoms, and inhaling the harsh chemicals irritates the airways and eyes.

What happens if a child eats a mothball?

When put in the mouth, a child usually experiences an immediate pungent taste and spits it out because it is unpleasant. If swallowed, it can cause upset stomach and possibly vomiting. The gas released from the mothball can be irritating to the eyes and nose, leading to watery eyes, runny nose and cough.

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.

Can you get high licking mothballs?

Teens sniff mothballs like a drug to get high. The substance that gives them this high is either naphthalene or dichlorobenzene. Older mothballs tend to contain the former, while newer products have the latter. Both can get you high and are harmful to inhale.

What are moth balls good for?

Mothballs have been used for many years in the United States as an insect and pest repellent for natural fibers, especially wool. Naphthalene was first registered as a pesticide in the United States in 1948. The State of Florida has registered approximately 400 moth/clothing related products.

What are mouth balls?

Mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant, sometimes used when storing clothing and other materials susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae (especially clothes moths like Tineola bisselliella).

What is the drug moth?

Modern mothballs use a different chemical, called para-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB) because naphthalene is flammable. This compound, like naphthalene, gives off a strong odor and can kill moth larvae. This chemical is also used as a disinfectant, often in bathroom garbage cans and in urinals cakes.

How toxic is naphthalene?

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. Cataracts have also been reported in workers acutely exposed to naphthalene by inhalation and ingestion.

What do mothballs smell like?

What do moth balls smell like? The pyrethroid in modern mothballs is odourless. Traditional moth balls, the ones we know from our childhoods, contain one of two chemicals, napthalene or paradichlorobenzene. These are white opaque crystal-like balls and they have a tell-tale strong, unpleasant, acrid smell.

Are naphthalene balls harmful?

What effect can naphthalene have on health? Exposure to very large amounts of naphthalene can cause damage to blood cells, leading to a condition called haemolytic anaemia. This condition has been seen in people, particularly children, after they have eaten moth balls containing naphthalene.

Can you get a rash from moth balls?

Naphthalene vapors may irritate your eyes. Wearing clothes that were stored in mothballs made from naphthalene can cause skin rash in people with sensitive skin. Long-term exposure to large amounts of naphthalene vapors in your home may cause eye cataracts.

Can I smell naphthalene balls?

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.

How long does it take to get sick from mothballs?

Symptoms. Stomach problems may not occur until 2 days after coming in contact with the poison. They can include: Abdominal pain.

Are mothballs cancerous?

Chemicals in mothballs and air fresheners may increase the risk of cancer, scientists have discovered. Naphthalene and para-dichlorobenzene are recognised pollutants that can cause cancer in rodents. Experts believe they are also likely to be harmful to humans.

How do you get rid of moth ball breath?