Is camphor safe? How to use camphor effectively?
When it comes to camphor, we immediately think of its use in fighting termites, mold, and odor effectively. But camphor if not used properly will be harmful to health. So how to use camphor in the safest and most effective way?.
Mothballs, also known as camphor, is a crystalline solid that is usually white, but currently on the market mothballs are produced in many colors. They are used mainly for the purpose of deodorizing, repelling rats or insects such as flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches.
Currently camphor is applied in many families, but camphor besides that there is also a lot of harm if we use it in the wrong way. Here is some information about the harmful effects of camphor and how to use it safely.
first Is camphor harmful?
The answer is yes, according to a source from Tuoi Tre Online newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Department of Health Environmental Management (Ministry of Health) said. Camphor is a type synthesized from naphthalene, which is a very toxic compound, can affect the health of users, especially children. This compound is classified as a possible carcinogen to humans and animals.
According to Mr. Nga, camphor has been listed in List of insecticidal preparations and banned from use by the Ministry of Health since 2008. “I have seen and seen many camphor (moth) products that have registered the effect of repelling ants and cockroaches, belonging to the group that must be registered, but have not seen any products registered at the Ministry of Health,” Mr. Nga said. more.
According to another source from Mr. Le Truong Giang, in a study when exposing rats to camphor. Naphthalene vapor will strongly affect the development of lung, nose and stomach tumors of female rats. For that reason, if children are exposed to camphor too much, it can cause anemia in children.
It is not the first time that children mistake camphor for candy and end up in the hospital when they eat it by mistake. Typically, three children in Australia died when they ate camphor by mistake and did not receive timely medical attention. Therefore, if your family regularly uses camphor to deodorize, put it in places out of the reach of children.
>> Using camphor improperly can cause poisoning
2 Symptoms of camphor poisoning
When being poisoned with naphthalene vapor, if not detected for timely emergency treatment, the situation can become more serious. In the worst case, the victim can die.
Acute poisoning
The first sign of acute poisoning is that the victim will havesymptoms of nausea, diarrhea, headache, lightheadedness, convulsions, coma, dark yellow urine, can lead to death if not detected early. In addition, acute poisoning also causing rupture of red blood cells, leading to anemia, liver necrosis, and nerve damage.
Chronic poisoning
Symptoms of chronic poisoning are similar to those of acute poisoning, patients may prolonged diarrhea, nasopharyngitis, vision loss, jaundice,.. If not detected in time, it will affect the brain, making walking difficult, memory loss, liver and kidney damage.
3 How to use camphor safely
Because camphor is toxic when not used properly, users need to pay attention to the following information to avoid harming health.
Camphor place
Vapors from camphor pellets are heavier than air, so they radiate downwards. So, Need to hang camphor on highfor example, above the closet, the toilet… If it’s in the closet, you Close the cabinet to prevent termites.
Camphor is used in wardrobes and shoes to repel cockroaches and mice should be placed in a plastic or stainless steel cage. Because when placing camphor in a mesh bag, it is easy to fall and break into fine dust that cannot be cleaned
Correct use with different fabrics
– Synthetic woven fabrics such as Acrylich, Nilong, and Peclong fibers when contaminated with camphor gas will expand, may tear, rot and reduce durability.
– Bright silk, brocade embroidered garments Infected camphor vapor will turn yellow.
– Fabric withstands camphor are the types natural textiles such as cotton, hemp, feathers, silk… These fabrics often have vitamins and fats, so they are often attacked by cockroaches. When using camphor in sufficient quantity, it will repel insects and be safe for health.
– Do not let camphor stick to the fabricshould use white cloth or thin cloth to cover.
4 Things to avoid when using camphor
– Do not use camphor for the purpose of deodorizing rooms, ventilated places.
– For young children, it is important to note that after bringing out items from the camphor storage cabinet, they should be dried in the sun to remove the smell before giving them to children to use.
– Camphor should be kept out of reach of small children because their shape is very similar to candy, and has a sweet aroma and taste. If children eat it, it will be very dangerous.
Camphor is extremely useful when we know how to use camphor properly, if you know more about the use of camphor, please share with us.
