Camphor Uses, Benefits and Dangers: Using Naphthalene-Purified Water, Cooking Puts Your Kidneys at Risk – Expert

You might think they are regular round balls that sometimes have a nice smell, but naphthalene balls or moth balls commonly known as camphor are dangerous if you don’t use them properly.

Naphthalene balls, originally an insect repellent, also give a good scent if placed in the toilet or toilet and among the family clothes inside the wardrobe.

But some guys react badly to me.

Joshua Agomor stops using naphthalene balls in the bathroom because my little brother has an allergic reaction one day.

Joshua told BBC News in pidgin: “My brother has itchy eyes and a burning sensation in his face every time we use naphthalene balls in our bathroom.”

“The moment he smells the smell, that’s how he’s going to start reacting, so I never bought it again,” Joshua said.

Joshua is just one of many pipo who suffer allergic reactions if they perceive or use household naphthalene balls.

For some pipo, this is the perfect solution to combat insects and pests in the home – like wall gecko, moths, cockroaches and other tiny crawling and flying insects.

Pipo who makes these balls writes on the top of the packaging saying to “keep them away from pickins and keep them away from food and drinks”.

But surprisingly, some pipo use naphthalene balls to purify the water that some cook.

In fact, a research conducted by Pipo of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for 2022 reveals that some food samples contain chemicals from naphthalene balls after sample testing.

Research by Gloria Mathanda Ankar-Brewoo, Godfred Darko and others revealed the presence of so-called “polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons” in two street foods.

Di researchers surveyed 188 consumers of food vendors.

They detect the chemical naphthalene in all samples of di rice and hot pepper sauce with a concentration ranging from 1.7 to 6.5 mg kg.

Some toxic chemicals were also found in samples of fufu and fried chicken.

Researchers say high levels of naphthalene in food are due to street food vendors using scoops to purify water.

“Vendors use the water stored with the mothballs or mothballs to boil rice for fried rice or cassava for the fufu they cook.”

“Water is also used to make soup,” said Gloria Mathanda Ankar-Brewoo, lead scientist of the research.

He added that “if sellers stop using mothballs in water when they find other ways to purify and store their water, the health risk will be reduced,” he added. explain.

The researchers want to force authorities to review policies regarding the use of mothballs/naphthalene balls in places where they cook food.

The Ghana Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has repeatedly failed to warn pipo not to use naphthalene balls near food or water.

Under FDA mandate, naphthalene balls are classified as household chemicals for insect control.

The authority said in a statement that it did not notice some pipo using naphthalene balls to treat stomach aches, measles and diarrhea.

“These cause serious harm to people who use them outside of their intended use, which is killing insects,” the FDA said.

According to the FDA, research does not show that if you use naphthalene/mothballs the wrong way, you are likely to suffer health problems.

“Long-term exposure to naphthalene balls or naphthalene balls is likely to cause severe anemia, reproductive harm, respiratory tumors, headaches and nausea.

If fish do not regularly release these balls inside the water bodies, I am apt to endanger the animals inside the water bodies.

Some countries do not ban products containing naphthalene due to mislabeling of naphthalene balls as “camphor”.

Some types of camphor are edible and are used to treat coughs, indigestion, obesity and health problems.

This type of camphor comes from a plant native to Asia.

Most pipo confuse naphthalene balls with edible camphor – but they are different.

In Ghana, the Food and Drug Authority does not register products containing naphthalene for use as insecticides.

The authority said naphthalene labels and products registered for Ghana contained the correct information on its intended use and warnings.

“These products should not come into contact with children, food or water, a material that can easily ignite, so people should keep them away from fire,” the director general said. of the FDA, Delese Mimi Darko.

The FDA said it would step up enforcement.

But while they do this, it is well known that this naphthalene contains chemicals that can cause cancer and other health problems.

An expert from Dr. Michael Baah Biney told BBC News that naphthalene contains chemicals that react with any living cell, whether inside a human or an animal.

This chemical is toxic to pipo, but it has serious effects on pickins and old pipo.

“Especially for children under five, naphthalene is toxic, but even for adults, especially pipo, they suffer from a disease they call glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency , I am dangerous,” said Dr. Baah Biney.

I add that a certain amount of naphthalene gatz is inside the body for me to cause severe wahala.

“If a child takes naphthalene the size of four paracetamol tablets into their system, that child will have high toxicity, just like people with G6PD.”

For rooms where naphthalene is put on the floor, pickins can carry them around and eat them if no one is watching them.

Dr Baah Biney said if this happened it would be a serious problem.

“If the child eats naphthalene or mothballs, which is about 2 grams, it will have a big effect, that’s when it will start to affect the child’s organs.”

For those who use it to purify cooking water, they sometimes put more than one scoop, it is also deadly.

Some effects of naphthalene chemicals on the body

Dr Michael Baah Biney told BBC News in Pidgin that naphthalene “affects children’s red blood cells – the free radicals it creates inside the body affect the red blood cells.”

I add that “the chemicals in one ball of naphthalene are equal to the weight of four paracetamol tablets and cause what we call hemolysis.”

“Red blood cells carry the oxygen that we breathe through our system to the lungs, so let’s say they are able to distribute it down to the toes – so the naphthalene ball is going to affect the blood cells, so the blood cells will be affected.”

If this happens, a person will suffer from what is called hypoxia, which is the absence of oxygen in the person’s body to keep it functioning.

“If this happens, the child will suffer from respiratory problems, he will not be able to breathe well because of the toxic effect of naphthalene.”

Dr. Biney also explained that sometimes, if the effect occurs in the child, “their urine may turn black – this is an emergency, it means the child’s kidneys have been affected.”

“When red blood cells break down inside the body, they affect the kidneys.”

For pipo we already suffer from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, if naphthalene does not enter the system this will double.

“So for people who put a lot of naphthalene balls, like eight, in the water to purify it, if someone takes a little bit of that water, it’s bad. The small effect that will accumulate is bad for everyone.

FDA Rapid Guidance on Naphthalene Balls

– if you use it for insect repellent purposes, use it in a ventilated area

– Keep balls out of reach of children and pets.

– Do not get vapor inhaled or get into your mouth

– Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use the balls on the label.

– Wear gloves and protective clothing when handling naphthalene/mothballs.