WEBVTT - What's in mothballs?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from house Stuff Works dot com

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<v Speaker 1>where smart Happens. Hi Am Marshall Brain with today's question,

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<v Speaker 1>what is in moth balls and is it harmful to people? Clothes?

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<v Speaker 1>Moths can be a real problem in clothes made from

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<v Speaker 1>natural fibers, especially wool. There are two different types of

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<v Speaker 1>moth balls used to combat these moths. In one type,

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<v Speaker 1>the maid ingredient is naphthaline, and in the other it's paradichlorobenzene.

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<v Speaker 1>The idea with both chemicals is to kill moths and

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<v Speaker 1>moth larva with the fumes. Both naphthaline and paradichloro benzene sublimate,

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<v Speaker 1>meaning that they transition straight from solid to gas. The

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<v Speaker 1>gas is a toxin to the maths. For either of

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<v Speaker 1>these chemicals to be effective, they need to be placed

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<v Speaker 1>with the clothing in a sealed container so that the

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<v Speaker 1>fumes can build up and kill the maths. In a

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<v Speaker 1>sealed atmosphere like this, the fumes are not harmful to

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<v Speaker 1>people because they are contained. The main threat would occur

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<v Speaker 1>when opening the containers or from wearing clothes immediately after opening,

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<v Speaker 1>which is especially a problem for infants. A solution is

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<v Speaker 1>to open the containers outside and then let the clothes

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<v Speaker 1>hang in air out for a day or two before wearing.

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<v Speaker 1>We all seem to have that aunt whose entire house

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<v Speaker 1>smells like mothballs, and we've all walked into a public

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<v Speaker 1>restroom where the smell of parodichloral benzine is nearly overpowering.

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<v Speaker 1>Are these fumes healthy? The answer is probably not. Neither

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<v Speaker 1>of these chemicals is particularly good for people to breathe

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<v Speaker 1>on a regular basis. Airing out clothes is a way

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<v Speaker 1>to limit the exposure unless toxic. Alternative is cedar blocks, shavings,

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<v Speaker 1>or oil. The blocks are expensive, but cedar shavings in

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<v Speaker 1>the form of hamster bedding can be really inexpensive. Again,

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<v Speaker 1>the container needs to be closed in order for the

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<v Speaker 1>cedar sent to have any real effect on the moths.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you have any ideas or suggestions for this podcast?

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<v Speaker 1>If so, please send me an e mail at podcast

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<v Speaker 1>at how stuff works dot com. For more on this

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<v Speaker 1>and thousands of other topics, go to how stuff works

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. M HM