ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS ENCYCLOPEDIA ...

A thirty-six-yr-old pharmacist was given 5 g
of unpurified naphthalene in an emulsion of
castor oil in divided doses in the course of
thirteen hr. On awakening eight to nine hr
later he had severe pain in the bladder, and
found that he was nearly blind, although
previously he had good vision. ... A yr later
/examination showed/ the vision to be reduced
and in both lenses were seen countless fine
whitish opacities arranged as a zonular
cataract about the nucleus with a narrow clear
zone at the equator. [Grant, W.M. Toxicology
of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles
C. Thomas Publisher, 1986. 651].
In twenty-one newborns, a rather severe form
of hemolytic anemia, associated with jaundice
& kernicterus and produced from the inhalation
of naphthalene used in blankets & woolen
clothing stored for the summer, was reported.
[Arena, J.M. and Drew, R.H. (eds.) Poisoning-
Toxicology, Symptoms, Treatments. 5th ed.
Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher,
1986. 248].
A 69-year-old black female exposed to
naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene developed
aplastic anemia two months after exposure.
[Harden RA, Baetjer AM; J Occup Med 20: 820
(1978) as cited in USEPA; Ambient Water
Quality Criteria Doc: Naphthalene (Draft) p.C-
21 (1980)].
Br.Car: Brief Summary of Carcinogenicity/Cancer Information:
EPA 1996 IRIS Database [893]:
Evidence for classification as to human
carcinogenicity; weight-of-evidence classification:
Classification: D; not classifiable as to
human carcinogenicity
BASIS: Based on no human data and inadequate
data from animal bioassays.
HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None.
ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Inadequate.
However, according to information in IRIS [893],
naphthalene may soon be upgraded to "possible
carcinogen." status (confirmed by Robert McGaughy,