Japan Offspring Fund (JOF) Monthly Newsletter
April 2005, No.192

2) Mothballs

Mothballs are commonly used in Japan. They contain a chemical called PDCB,
Paradichlorbenzol. PDCB has a sweet, mothball-like odor and evaporates easily. It is widely sold for household use as deodorizer and moth control items for toilet bowls and closets, and as mothballs. PDCB is also an ingredient in some toilet bowl cleaners and rodent repellents. It is even used in some countries as an insecticide for fruit trees. Children are especially sensitive to PDCB fumes. Parents should be extra careful as children can accidentally ingest the moth balls. Prolonged skin contact may produce an acute and/or chronic burning sensation or allergic rash, as well as atopic dermatitis (eczema).

For Japanese young girls, there is a collection of fancy traditional dolls called Hina Ningyo. It is an occasion to pray for young girls' growth and happiness. Most homes with girls display the precious dolls for the festival for only a short period of time. However, Dr. Terasawa warns that when the dolls are stored between displays, mothballs should not be used: In one case a girl he treated for severe atopy improved after only 3 days, as soon as the dolls were taken away. In another case, a 6 year old boy had severe atopy. When Dr. Terasawa visited the boy's house, he could feel the strong insecticide-like smell of mothballs. When all the mothballs in the entire house were removed, the boy recovered.