Pica - sniffing mothballs

Health effects

In humans, exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may damage or destroy red blood cells. This could cause the body to have too few red blood cells until it replaces the destroyed cells. Humans, particularly children, have developed this condition after ingesting mothballs or deodorant blocks containing naphthalene. Some of the symptoms of this condition are fatigue, lack of appetite, restlessness, and pale skin. Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the urine, and jaundice (yellow coloration of the skin).

When the U.S. National Toxicology Program exposed male and female rats and mice to naphthalene vapors on weekdays for two years (1), male and female rats exhibited: evidence of carcinogenic activity, based on increased incidences of adenoma and neuroblastoma of the nose, female mice exhibited some evidence of carcinogenic activity, based on increased incidences of alveolar and bronchiolar adenomas of the lung, and male mice exhibited no evidence of carcinogenic activity.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (2) classifies naphthalene as possibly carcinogenic to humans [Group 2B]. It also points out that acute exposure causes cataracts in humans, rats, rabbits, and mice and, that hemolytic anemia, described above, can occur in children and infants after oral or inhalation exposure or after maternal exposure during pregnancy.

Over 400 million people have an inherited condition called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. For these people, exposure to naphthalene is harmful and may cause hemolytic anemia, which causes their erythrocytes to break down.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphthalene#Health_effects

Toxicity to humans

Children are exposed to p-DCB in many of the same ways that adults are. Children may be at higher risk, due to accidental exposures such as swallowing p-DCB used in the home in mothballs or toilet bowl deodorant blocks. There is very little information on how children react to p-DCB exposure, but children would probably show the same effects as adults. There have also been reported cases of dichlorobenzene in mothballs being used recreationally.

No studies in people or animals show that p-DCB crosses the placenta or can be found in fetal tissues. Based on other similar chemicals, it is possible that this could occur. There is no credible evidence that p-DCB causes birth defects. One study found dichlorobenzenes in breast milk, but p-DCB has not been specifically measured.

Children should not be allowed to play with or drink toilet bowl water because it may contain p-DCB. Do not let children rub mothballs or cleaners containing p-DCB on their skin. Pesticides, bathroom deodorizers, and mothballs containing p-DCB should be stored out of reach of young children. Always store household chemicals in their original containers. Never store them in containers children would find attractive to eat or drink from, such as old soda bottles.

Tests are available to measure exposure to p-DCB. The most common test measures a breakdown product of p-DCB called 2,5-dichlorophenol in urine and blood. If there is 2,5-dichlorophenol in the urine, it indicates that the person was exposed to p-DCB within the previous day or two. The test that measures p-DCB in your blood is less common.

ooh thanks Talya - cedar balls sound good.
hmm...where on earth can I get cedar balls from?

I'll try my local hardware shop I guess.

Thanks


Phoenix I wasn't going to eat them, but yeh I agree I should stop sniffing them. I'm going to try and see if I can find some cedar ones instead like it says in one of the websites iTalya posted.

(Oh and my mothballs are 100% napthalene - I read the box to find out what was in them).

Just making sure i've heard some weird storys. including pregnant woman eating tar. It's curiosu because you also mentioned people eating coal as well and the main source of Naphalene is from Coal tar.

Anyway, i wish you all the best

I suffer from Pica, have done since I was about 5. Has nothing to do with pregnancy or iron deficiency though...

I eat paper, plastic and plastics every day and the cravings have never really gone

Just making sure i've heard some weird storys. including pregnant woman eating tar. It's curiosu because you also mentioned people eating coal as well and the main source of Naphalene is from Coal tar.

Anyway, i wish you all the best

Omg! I thought I was the only person that liked to smell moth balls all the time (without the pregnancy thing!)

I've never heard of coal tar soap