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Naphthalene

General Information

• Beyond Pesticides Naphthalene ChemWatch Factsheet
• Beyond Pesticides Clearing the Air of Toxic Moth Repellents factsheet
• Naphthalene product names
• Chemical Class: Polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)
• Uses: indoor moth, squirrel, and bat repellant, outdoor repelant of animals such as snakes and rabbits
• Alternatives: Moths
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health Effects

• Cancer: Yes (21)
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Not documented
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (14)
• Kidney/ Liver Damage:Yes (24)
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (7)
• Birth/ Developmental Defects: Not documented

Environmental Effects

• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Detected in Streams: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Yes (29)
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/ Aquatic Organisms: Not documented
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented
• Toxic to Mammals: Not documented
• Long-Range Transport: Not documented

Additional Information

• Regulatory Information:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) signed 7/2008
• Supporting information:
  • PAN Pesticides Database:Naphthalene (Pesticide Action Network)
  • EWG Naphthalene Factsheet (Environmental Working Group)
  • Scorecard Naphthalene Factsheet (Environmental Defense Fund)
• Key Studies:
  • The nongenotoxic carcinogens naphthalene and para-dichlorobenzene suppress apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans, Kokel, D. 2006. Nature Chemical Biology 2: 338-345.
  • Naphthalene and Reduced Fertility (Beyond Pesticides Daily News Archive)