June 30, 2012

(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