Naphthalene in Outdoor Air by County, New Jersey, 2019
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Why Is This Important?
Naphthalene has been used as a household fumigant, such as in mothballs or moth flakes. Large amounts of naphthalene are used as a chemical intermediate to produce other chemicals. Exposure to naphthalene happens mostly from breathing air contaminated from the burning of wood, tobacco, or fossil fuels, industrial discharges, or moth repellents. Exposure to high levels of naphthalene may damage or destroy red blood cells. Children and adults have developed this condition, known as hemolytic anemia, after ingesting mothballs or deodorant blocks containing naphthalene. Symptoms include fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, restlessness, and pale skin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies naphthalene as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Definition
Mean of modeled annual average naphthalene concentration for census tracts in a county
Data Source
USEPA Air Toxics Screening Assessment and NJDEP Division of Air Quality(https://www.epa.gov/AirToxScreen)
How the Measure is Calculated
Numerator:
Modeled mean naphthalene concentration in micrograms per cubic meterDenominator:
N/A