What happens if you consume naphthalene balls?

If swallowed, naphthalene can damage red blood cells, causing kidney damage and many other problems. It can affect how blood carries oxygen to the heart, brain, and other organs. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures and coma. Breathing in the fumes over a period of time can cause poisoning, too.

What happens if you accidentally eat mothballs?

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.

Can too many mothballs make you sick?

Inhalation of naphthalene may cause skin and eye irritation; gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea; neurologic symptoms, such as confusion, excitement, and convulsions; renal problems, such as acute renal shutdown; and hematologic features, such as icterus and severe anemia …

Can you die from eating naphthalene?

In conclusion, the decedent ingested naphthalene and died due to liver failure without hemolysis. Moreover, suicide through naphthalene ingestion is rare. Acute symptoms of naphthalene poisoning include headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.

How much mothballs is toxic?

Everyone in the home is exposed to the vapors if moth balls are not used properly. 4000 children per year are exposed to moth balls with over 600 of these cases requiring medical attention. Ingestion of one moth ball can be toxic to a young child, and even lethal if G6PD deficiency is present in that child.

How many mothballs can 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.

How long does it take for mothballs to evaporate?

How Long Does it Take for Mothballs to Dissipate? 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.

What happens to mothballs over time?

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.

How long does naphthalene take to evaporate?

a single naphthalene mothball in open air may dissipate in a 3-6 months. a single naphthalene mothball placed under clothing and not in open air may dissipate in 12 months.

How much naphthalene is toxic?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States has established a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 10 ppm for naphthalene. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established an immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) value of 250 ppm for naphthalene.

Do moth balls contain naphthalene?

Some moth balls and toilet deodorant cakes contain a substance called naphthalene. Naphthalene is a solid, white material with a distinctive odour, and it is found naturally in fossil fuels like coal and oil. How can I be exposed to naphthalene?

What happens if you eat too much naphthalene?

Some of the symptoms that may occur after exposure to large quantities of naphthalene are fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The skin may become pale or yellow-coloured. Newborn babies are particularly at risk of damaging their blood cells if they are exposed to naphthalene.

What happens if a child eats a moth ball?

This condition has been seen in people, particularly children, after they have eaten moth balls containing naphthalene. Some of the symptoms that may occur after exposure to large quantities of naphthalene are fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

How should naphthalene be used safely?

How should naphthalene be used safely? Moth balls containing naphthalene are generally safe for use around adults and older children, if used correctly and in the right quantity. Australian guidelines recommend that the use of naphthalene is restricted around children under three years of age.