Naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene are common ingredients in diaper pail and toilet bowl deodorizers and moth repellents. Both compounds have a similar pungent odor and are clear-to-white crystalline substances; therefore, they are difficult to distinguish visually. Naphthalene, 10% in oil, was used as a scabicide in the past. Naphthalene is no longer commonly used because it largely has been replaced by the less toxic paradichlorobenzene.

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   Mechanism of toxicity. Both compounds cause GI upset, and both may cause CNS stimulation. In addition, naphthalene may produce hemolysis, especially in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

   
   
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   Toxic dose

   
   
   
   
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      Naphthalene. As little as one mothball containing naphthalene (250–500 mg) may produce hemolysis in a patient with G6PD deficiency. The amount necessary to produce lethargy or seizures is not known but may be as little as 1–2 g (four to eight mothballs). Several infants developed serious poisoning from clothes and bedding that had been stored in naphthalene mothballs.

      
      
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      Paradichlorobenzene

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