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Mothball

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Mothballs
A packet of mothballs

Mothballsare small balls of chemicalpesticideanddeodorant,sometimes used when storing clothing and other materials susceptible to damage fromsilverfish,moldormothlarvae (especiallyclothes mothslikeTineola bisselliella).

Composition

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Older mothballs consisted primarily ofnaphthalene,but due to naphthalene's flammability, many modern mothball formulations instead use1,4-dichlorobenzene.The latter formulation may be somewhat less flammable, although both chemicals have the sameNFPA 704rating for flammability. The latter chemical is also variously labeled as para-dichlorobenzene, p-dichlorobenzene, pDCB, or PDB, making it harder to identify unless all these names and initialisms are known to a potential purchaser. Both of these formulations have the strong, pungent, sickly-sweet odor often associated with mothballs. Both naphthalene and 1,4-dichlorobenzene undergosublimation,meaning that they transition from a solid state directly into a gas; this gas is toxic to moths and moth larvae.[1]

Due to the health risks of 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and flammability of naphthalene, other substances likecamphorare sometimes used.

Uses

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Mothballs are stored in air-tight bags made of a non-reactive plastic such aspolyethyleneorpolypropylene(other plastics may be degraded or softened). The clothing to be protected should be sealed within airtight containers; otherwise the vapors will tend to escape into the surrounding environment.[1]Manufacturer's instructions regularly warn against using mothballs for any purpose other than those specified by the packaging, as such uses are not only harmful and noxious, they are also frequently considered illegal.[2][1]

Although occasionally used as snake repellent, mothball use as a rodent, squirrel, or bat repellent is illegal in many areas, and tends to cause more annoyance and hazard to humans than to the target pest.[3][1]However, mothballs continue to be advertised as squirrel repellent and are an ingredient in some commercial vermin and snake repellent products.

Health risks

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TheUS Department of Health and Human Services(DHHS) has determined that 1,4-dichlorobenzene "may reasonably be anticipated to be acarcinogen".This has been indicated by animal studies, although a full-scale human study has not been done.[4]TheNational Toxicology Program(NTP), theInternational Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC) and thestate of Californiaconsider 1,4-dichlorobenzene a carcinogen.[5]

Exposure to naphthalene mothballs can cause acutehemolysis(anemia) in people withglucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.[6]IARC classifies naphthalene as possibly carcinogenic to humans and other animals (see alsoGroup 2B).[7]IARC points out that acute exposure causescataractsin humans, rats, rabbits, and mice. Chronic exposure to naphthalene vapors is reported to also cause cataracts andretinal hemorrhage.[8]Under California'sProposition 65,naphthalene is listed as "known to the State to cause cancer".[9]

Research at theUniversity of Colorado at Boulderrevealed a probable mechanism for the carcinogenic effects of mothballs and some types of air fresheners.[10][11]

In addition to their cancer risks, mothballs are known to cause liver and kidney damage.[1]

1,4-Dichlorobenzene is aneurotoxin.It has been abused as aninhalant,causing a variety of neurotoxic effects.[12][13]

Mothballs containing naphthalene have been banned within theEUsince 2008.[14][15]

Alternatives

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As discussed in more detail atTineola bisselliella,alternatives to mothballs to control clothes moths include dry cleaning, freezing, thorough vacuuming, and washing in hot water.[16]Camphoris also used as a moth repellent, particularly in China.[17]Unlikenaphthaleneanddichlorobenzene,camphor has medicinal applications and is not regarded as a carcinogen, though it is toxic in large doses.Red cedarwood and oil is also used as an alternative moth repellent.[18]

Pheromone trapsare also an effective diagnostic tool and can sometimes be an effective control tool to protect valuable clothing.

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As a verb, "mothball" has a metaphorical usage, meaning "to stop work on an idea, plan, or job, but leaving it in such a way that work can continue in the future".[19]"Mothballed" is a common adjective to describe ships or aircraft which are stored for long periods, but not sent for scrapping.

The origins of this use of "mothballed" may have been reports that the ocean linerSS Normandiewas "packed in mothballs" when in September 1939 it was 'interned' by the U.S. Government in New York. The papers reported a month later that "fourteen huge barrels of mothballs had been used to preserve carpets, draperies, and upoholstery".[20]The ship was at the time expected to remain in New York for the duration of the war, but after the attack on Pearl Harbor she was converted to a troop ship.

The US Navy planned to store fighting ships in 1945, but keep them ready for rapid return to service. By 1946 these ships were referred to as being "mothballed". The process however did not mention mothballs, but rust preventative coating, sealing compartments, removing equipment, and covering topside equipment, as well as protecting the hull. Mothballed ships were expected to be able to resume active service in just 10 days.[21]United States Navy reserve fleetsare still informally referred to as the 'mothball fleet'.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcde"What You Should Know About Mothballs: Protecting Your Children and Educating Childcare Providers"(PDF).ldh.la.gov.Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.Archived(PDF)from the original on June 11, 2021.RetrievedApril 22,2021.
  2. ^Uncommon Uses for Common Household Products.Frank W. Cawood and Associates. 2000. p. 126.ISBN978-1-890957-39-1.Archivedfrom the original on August 6, 2020.RetrievedNovember 3,2016.
  3. ^"Problem Wildlife in the Garden and Yard".NPIC.National Pesticide Information Center.Archivedfrom the original on October 23, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 21,2016.
  4. ^"ToxFAQs™ for Dichlorobenzenes".Toxic Substances Portal.Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.Archivedfrom the original on November 26, 2020.RetrievedMay 24,2013.
  5. ^"p-dichlorobenzene (1,4-dichlorobenzene)"(PDF).Material Safety Data Sheet.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on May 22, 2013.RetrievedMay 24,2013.
  6. ^Santucci, K; Shah, B. (January 2000). "Association of naphthalene with acute hemolytic anemia".Academic Emergency Medicine.7(1):42-7.
  7. ^"Some Traditional Herbal Medicines, Some Mycotoxins, Naphthalene and Styrene".IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans.82:367. 2002.Archivedfrom the original on March 25, 2016.RetrievedDecember 25,2008.
  8. ^"Naphthalene".Air Toxics Web Site.US Environmental Protection Agency.Archivedfrom the original on May 10, 2015.RetrievedMay 24,2013.
  9. ^Proposition 65ArchivedJuly 29, 2019, at theWayback Machine,Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
  10. ^"Scientists May Have Solved Mystery Of Carcinogenic Mothballs"ArchivedOctober 10, 2008, at theWayback Machine.Physorg.com.June 20, 2006.
  11. ^"Mothballs, air fresheners and cancer".Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2020.RetrievedMay 24,2013.
  12. ^"Mothball sniffing warning issued"ArchivedNovember 27, 2020, at theWayback Machine.BBC News.July 27, 2006.
  13. ^"Twin Girls with Neurocutaneous Symptoms Caused by Mothball Intoxication"ArchivedSeptember 21, 2013, at theWayback Machine.The New England Journal of Medicine.July 27, 2006.
  14. ^Gray, Kerrina (November 17, 2013)."Council warned against use of poisonous moth balls".Your Local Guardian.Newsquest (London) Ltd.Archivedfrom the original on December 2, 2013.RetrievedNovember 23,2012.
  15. ^Alderson, Andrew (November 15, 2008)."Holy straight bananas – now the Eurocrats are banning moth balls".The Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2014.RetrievedNovember 23,2013.
  16. ^Eisenberg, Sheryl."Mothballed".This Green Life.Natural Resources Defense Council.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2013.RetrievedMay 24,2013.
  17. ^Quốc vụ viện kinh mậu bạn, vệ sinh bộ quan vu đình chỉ sinh sản hòa tiêu thụ nại hoàn đề xướng sử dụng chương não chế phẩm đích thông tri ( quốc kinh mậu điều ( 1993 ) 64 hào )
  18. ^Back, E.A.; Rabak, F. (1923).Red Cedar Chests as Protectors Against Moth Damage.Bulletin of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. U.S. Department of Agriculture.Archivedfrom the original on March 11, 2022.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  19. ^"Mothball".dictionary.cambridge.org.Cambridge Dictionary.Archivedfrom the original on September 2, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 2,2019.
  20. ^"Normandie's Inactivity".Belfast Telegraph.October 9, 1939. p. 5.
  21. ^"A fleet in storage".Birmingham Daily Gazette.April 8, 1946. p. 5.
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