What will happen if you smell too much mothballs

Camphor balls are an item that many people have used in their lives. They can effectively help prevent clothes and cabinets from being bitten by moths. However, if you smell too much camphor, you are likely to experience chronic poisoning, such as dizziness, headache and diarrhea.

1. Synthetic mothballs contain paradichlorobenzene, a Class 6 toxic drug, as well as naphthalene and chemical camphor. They have a pungent smell and are hepatotoxic and blood toxic. Since synthetic mothballs are relatively cheap, more than 80% of the mothballs currently sold on the market contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene to varying degrees. Some families like to put mothballs in the closet to prevent insects, and even use them all year round. The smell can penetrate the skin through the contaminated clothes and cause chronic poisoning in the human body. In mild cases, the poisoning symptoms may include fatigue, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, rash, etc. Long-term use for more than 5 years can also induce fatal liver cancer and leukemia.

2. It is recommended not to use mothballs as much as possible. You can look for substitutes, such as dehumidifiers such as water-absorbing silica gel (if it is not wet, it is not easy to grow mosquitoes and bacteria), or simply put the clothes in a vacuum bag for storage, which is safe and saves space.

3. If you really need to use it, try to buy natural mothballs with less toxicity (natural mothballs are colorless or white crystals, smooth and transparent, shaped like glass balls, with a fragrant smell, and will float in the water. Synthetic mothballs containing naphthalene are pure white in appearance and will sink to the bottom of the water.) It is best to go to large supermarkets to buy products with the manufacturer's seal, "absolutely free of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene" or "non-toxic and harmless to the human body". Wardrobes and boxes containing mothballs should be ventilated from time to time, and clothes should be washed or air-dried for a while, and then worn after the smell disappears. Even if it is qualified natural mothballs, it should be used for a short period of time, not more than 2 months.