Risk Factors for Severe Toxicity After Exposure to Mothballs

 

Routes of exposure are:

(1) inhalation (chronic exposure to mothballs in a poorly ventilated room)

(2) ingestion (eating mothballs)

(3) transdermal (from treated clothing or blankets that have not been dry cleaned)

 

Risk factors for serious toxicity:

(1) neonate (impaired hepatic metabolism and excretion)

(2) ingestion after a fatty meal

(3) dermal exposure on skin treated with baby or other oils

(4) high dose (large body surface area, high atmospheric concentration, large number of mothballs ingested)

(5) glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency

(6) naphthalene is more toxic than para-dichlorobenzene (PDB)