What are the hazards of mothballs?

Many families have mothballs, and people like to put them in the closet, which can protect clothes very well. In addition to having many uses in life, mothballs are more useful in industry. However, we need to remind everyone that mothballs themselves are a toxic substance, so many things should be paid attention to during use, such as not letting babies touch them. So what harm may mothballs bring?

The hazards of mothballs:

Camphor balls contain p-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene. They are pesticide products and are generally used to prevent moths in industrial or agricultural products. Not suitable for daily use. A large amount of practice has proved that benzene substances are extremely harmful to human health. Therefore, the World Health Organization has classified it as a strong carcinogen.

All moth-proof products on the market that use mothballs as the main ingredient contain the above ingredients. No matter what kind of signs the merchants use, such as non-toxic, as long as the raw materials are mothballs, they are harmful to human health. Mothballs containing paradichlorobenzene are toxic to a certain extent. They can cause symptoms of poisoning in humans, such as sneezing, dizziness, vomiting, skin allergies, fatigue, etc. In severe cases, they can even cause cancer. Most of the mothballs currently sold on the market contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene to varying degrees. Be sure to pay attention to the labels on the packaging bags when purchasing.

Some mothballs have been processed and modified to have a much milder smell, with a fruity flavor, and contain lower levels of naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. There is also a kind of fragrant wood beads, which are made of camphor wood. After processing, they emit a light herbal fragrance and are also suitable for home use.

Sweaters, wool, cashmere and other clothes are easily eaten by insects, so it is best to put them separately in a storage box or a large plastic bag, and then add an appropriate amount of mothballs. Take it out to dry before wearing, and wear it after the smell has dissipated. Mothballs should not be used on the clothes of young children and pregnant women. It is also best not to wear underwear or other close-fitting clothing to avoid irritation.

Camphor balls, also known as camphor essence, are spherical objects made of naphthalene. They are white in color and have a special smell. They can be placed in clothes to prevent insect infestation. Also called sanitary pills, some places call them sanitary balls, stinky balls, and their shapes are mostly round, but they can also be made into flakes, blocks, powders, and granules. Whatever the shape, the performance remains the same. People put wool blankets, woolen clothes, etc. inside to prevent them from being damaged by insects. Pure camphor resources are limited, and camphor is more useful in the pharmaceutical, plastic and fragrance industries, so people use synthetic camphor instead of natural camphor to make mothballs. Synthetic camphor is made from turpentine and is very similar to natural camphor. Its color and purity are better than those of sanitary balls made of naphthalene, and it will not leave yellow spots when sprinkled directly on fabrics. However, naphthalene is cheaper than camphor, so some people use synthetic camphor instead of natural camphor to make mothballs.

Naphthalene and dichlorobenzene in mothballs are harmful to health, so choose carefully

Synthetic mothballs containing naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene have a pungent smell. Dichlorobenzene is toxic and can cause symptoms of poisoning in humans, such as fatigue, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, etc. Camphor balls containing paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene are pesticide products and are generally used to prevent moths in industrial or agricultural products. They are not suitable for daily necessities. A large amount of practice has proved that benzene substances are extremely harmful to human health. Therefore, the World Health Organization has classified it as a strong possible carcinogen. More than 80% of the mothballs currently sold on the market contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene to varying degrees, and less than 1/6 of the products are printed with "Absolutely free of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, safe, highly effective, non-toxic and harmless to the human body". Therefore, you must recognize the product labels when purchasing, and try to buy products with clear labels, clear product ingredients, manufacturers and recommended usage. Do not blindly judge the moth-proofing effect based solely on the size of the smell, because moth repellents generally require some fragrances to suppress the irritating smell of camphor or paradichlorobenzene. Moth repellents with a strong odor may not necessarily have a good moth-repellent effect.