(Beyond Pesticides, June 5, 2012) A new study finds that
children exposed to high levels of naphthalene, a common air pollutant
and the active ingredient in mothballs, are at increased risk for
chromosomal aberrations (CA's) that have been associated with
increased cancer risk in adults. These include chromosomal
translocations, a potentially more harmful and long-lasting subtype of
CAs, which are of special concern as they result in a portion of one
chromosome being juxtaposed to a portion of another chromosome,
potentially scrambling the genetic script.
Source: Columbia University Press Release Children Exposed to Naphthalene—a Common Pollutant Best Known as
the Key Ingredient in Mothballs—Show Signs of Chromosomal Damage
