Prologue

I was in a neighbour’s house in India.  In their bathroom I discovered mothballs.  I was surprised because they grow their own food organically in their own kitchen garden, use solar energy, and own an electric car- basically, all the possible ways that they could have been, they are being sustainable. The presence of mothballs at their place did surprise me and hence I verified the fact with them too. I have seen mothballs in public bathrooms in India but never expected to see them in a private home. So, as a typical good neighbour, I told them that mothballs can be very dangerous and then both of us decided to find an alternative to it. It was this pursuit which has resulted in me writing this article on Mothballs and its alternatives.

Why are Mothballs Dangerous?

NAPHTHALENE

Naphthalene forms the active ingredient in most mothballs is highly flammable. That itself if a scare enough to avoid keeping it at home. This becomes even more dangerous when mothballs are kept in a place where children are. 

We all know how tough it is to control children and to prevent them from putting everything in their mouth. 

What if you accidentally ingest a Mothball?

Not trying to scare anyone here but this happens if one ingesta a mothball: damage to red blood cells, kidney and liver damage, problems with blood transport of oxygen to the heart, brain, and other organs; nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures, respiratory problems and coma. 

Naphthalene is a possible carcinogen. The Environmental Protection Agency considers it “a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemical” meaning it doesn’t break down in the environment easily, nor is it easily metabolized and it is hazardous to human health and the environment. 

What if you breathe Naphthalene in? 

Mothballs are solid at room temperature and are made into flakes, round balls or cakes. Many people put mothballs in their sink and urinals. The problem is that mothballs slowly change to a gas when they are exposed to air.  Breathing in the fumes over a period of time can cause poisoning. Mothball fumes are heavier than the air and can accumulate along the floors affecting pets and children. If you store your clothes in naphthalene mothballs and don’t wash them when removed, you can still get sick. Children have gotten poisoned this way.

PARADICHLOROBENZENE 

Paradichlorobenzene (another name is 1,4-dichlorobenzene.) is another active ingredient in other mothballs. This is less toxic, but its fumes can still be irritating or even poisonous. Environmentally it doesn’t easily dissolve in water and soil organisms don’t easily decompose them. Unfortunately, it can, however, accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans. 

Cornell University lists paradichlorobenzene as an acute toxin and says prolonged exposure can lead to anorexia, nausea, vomiting, weight loss and even death. I was shocked to read that it can melt buttons and ornaments on clothes. The Department of Health and Humans Services (DHHS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) declare it to be carcinogenic to humans.  Today most mothballs are made of this. 

CAMPHOR 

Camphor is another ingredient used in traditional mothballs. As a natural product, it comes from the wood of the camphor laurel tree and my guess is that parts of the camphor laurel tree can hence be used instead of mothballs.  Please note, however, that a lot of camphor being used these days is commercially produced through synthetic and artificial methods involving turpentine oil and has human side effects.      

A Few Ways to Save Yourself from the Danger

• Don’t use them in your sinks and toilets; they are not a deodorant and NO manufacturer should advertise them as such.  Instead, try cleaning or sanitising the said places with a little lavender, daily for a nice smell Or you can go for the usual organic floor and toilet cleaners which work as well. If the smell is something that really bothers you then burn incense sticks! Not only will they drive the smell out but bring in some positivity too!
• In your woollen storage container use cedar chips instead.  I have been doing that for a while now and have never had a problem. Occasionally, you may have to re-sand cedar so that the smell remains.  
• Moths do not like lavender and hence lavender sticks can be a good alternative if you do not want to engage in the re-sanding hassles of cedar chips. Try placing a branch in your woollen storage container, one in your closet; or create a lavender sachet.  
• Try combining several different herbs into a cheesecloth and hanging it in your closet: bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, eucalyptus leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, spearmint, sandalwood, tansy or woodruff, and wormwood.   
• For your linen closet place a few drops of Citronella onto a cotton cloth and you will be good to go for as long as the smell remains  
• Before putting clothes away, ask the dry cleaner to hot wash your clothes. Periodically shake out your woollens and use an airtight container so nothing can get inside. Be sure to vacuum your draws and keep them clean. 

And if you are using Mothballs, remember this!

Mothballs are only legal for clothes. Containers should be kept tightly closed with no possibility of the fumes leaking out. Children and animals should not have access to these boxes.

• Wash clothing and bedding that has been stored in mothballs before wearing or using it.  
• Mothballs do not belong in your attic, eaves, closets, basements, storage chests or trunks, garment bags, crawl spaces, gardens, trash cans, vehicles or on the ground outside to repel animals such as squirrels, skunks, deer, mice, rats, dogs, cats, raccoons, moles, snakes, pigeons.  Check with your local authorities or on the internet if such usage of mothballs is allowed in your area.
• Mothballs must be disposed off like Hazardous wastes.  Do not put them in the landfill, and don’t just throw them out of your door. Naphthalene is broken down by bacteria, fungi, air, and sunlight and I wonder if you put them in the sunlight will they break down safely?  “The half-life of naphthalene in the environment may range from less than one day in air to over 80 days in soil.” Paradichlorobenzene that gets into the environment is broken down by bacteria or becomes attached to sediments in the water. If it gets into the soil plants may take it up. Plant leaves can absorb it from the air. If in the air other chemicals may break it down and as a result, it has been found in rainwater and snow. In the air, it dissolves in 62 days. However, groundwater has been known to have Paradichlorobenzene when it is near the place of contamination. It is moderate to low in toxicity to fish and toxic to ducks.  It all depends on the species.

A Dive into the History & Other Trivia

In 1821, John Kidd presented the properties of naphthaline, how it was produced and proposed the name naphthaline, Naphtha refers to any volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture, including coal tar.  Michael Faraday in 1826 came up with its chemical formula. Paradichlorobenzene was found after many events of naphthalene being set on fire forming huge flames. Together, these two chemicals represent the active ingredients in mothballs as we know them today, thanks to years of experimentation in the 19th century by several dedicated scientists.

The USA government registered naphthalene in 1948. Paradichlorobenzene was registered in the USA in 1942 and since 2010 it’s in over 30 products in the USA including deodorants and blocks for trash cans and toilets.   

Naphthalene is not only found in mothballs but it is produced while burning substances too. Thus, naphthalene is created when you do smouldering, when you smoke cigarettes, have car exhaust, and when a forest burns. Naphthalene has been found in wastewater treatment plant discharge. No information has been found on naphthalene in groundwater though.

One source based on animal studies states that people working in naphthalene factories have a high risk of cancer because of the vapours.

PS: Mothball sales in Europe have been banned since 2008 and using naphthalene in mothballs is banned in China. They are regularly sold in India, the USA, and other countries, however.