Different Uses of Mothballs

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Many people use mothballs for different reasons. Mothballs are helpful for many different causes, but health risks are also associated with mothballs. Using mothballs can repel moths and make things smell great, but can also cause hemolytic anemia. Mothballs are helpful in many ways, but there is one factor in mothballs, Naphthalene, that can cause health issues.
Mothballs have many features that are beneficial to people. One feature of mothballs is keeping a house or building free of pest. Mothballs change from solids to gas at room temperature (Willert, n.d.). This gas is a toxic gas that kills moths and other insects (NPIC,2011). This toxic gas or fumes build up in a closed container and kills clothes moths inside. When enough fumes build up and moth or other insects digest the fumes the moths or other insects are then killed because the fumes are toxic (NPIC,2011). Mothballs also can cover up smells of other unpleasant smells from the fumes given off. Mothballs are a powerful deodorizer with fumes that kill insects, but these fumes can also be harmful to humans.
Mothballs are helpful in the correct circumstances, but if in incorrect circumstances can become harmful. Mothballs contain mostly Naphthalene, but also have traces of Paradichlorobenzene (Matheson TRI.GAS, 2008). Naphthalene is a solid which means the chemical has a definite shape and volume. At normal temperatures and pressures; Naphthalene has a stable reactivity (Matheson TRI.GAS, 2008). This means Naphthalene will not react at normal temperatures and pressure, but if shown to heat or flames Naphthalene will become more reactive. On the fire scale, Naphthalene is ranked 2 out of 4 (Matheson TRI.GAS, 2008). This means Naphthalene is mildly flammable. Naphthal...

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Works Cited

K. Santucci and B. Shah.(2000,Jan).Association of naphthalene with acute hemolytic anemia.
AcademicEmergencyMedicine,7(1)42-47.Retrievedfrom http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1553-2712.2000.tb01889.x/pdf

Matheson TRI.GAS. (2008, Dec.). Naphthalene. {Material Safety Data Sheet}. Retrieved from http://www.mathesongas.com/pdfs/msds/MAT16120.pdf NPIC.(2011,May).Mothballs. Retrieved from http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/ptype/mothball/index.html Soghoian.S, Nyadedzor.C, Nignpense.E.P, Clarke.E.E.k, Hoffman.R.S. (2012, Jan). Health risks of using mothballs in Greater Accra, Ghana. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 17(1)135–138 Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02885.x/pdf
Willert. (n.d.). Mothballs. Retrieved from
http://www.willert.clients.danskadesigns.com/files/Moth-Preventive-FAQs.pdf

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