New Zealand has banned mothballs due to their toxic risk. The Ministry of Health has warned that the chemicals in mothballs can be deadly. The health agency said mothballs and flakes in New Zealand contained harmful chemicals like camphor, naphthalene and dichlorobenzene.

According to the ministry, the chemicals in mothballs pose a "significant health risk" to New Zealanders if they are accidentally eaten or swallowed especially by small children. The chemicals such as naphthalene and dichlorobenzene may cause cancer.

The public is advised to return or throw away mothballs. The ministry said although no deaths from mothballs has been reported in New Zealand, at least two people need hospital treatment in every three years for ingesting flakes or mothballs.

New Zealand retailers were asked to remove all mothballs from shelves. According to reports, mothballs and flakes are already banned in Europe. In Australia, mothballs are being sold in a form that prevents accidental eating.

The ministry is aware of this form but said the products are not available in New Zealand. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will have to make an assessment before they be imported or manufactured.

Solvents raise breast cancer risk

Meanwhile, a new study suggests that the risk of breast cancer is increased for women exposed to organic solvents. According to researchers, women who work in factories and work with chemicals like benzene are more likely to develop cancerous tumours. However, the risk is higher if women are in the "above-average" potential for cancer.

The study published in Cancer Research said the risk was limited because not all women who handle chemicals like benzene would be affected since researchers adjusted the data to include variables like tobacco exposure, graveyard shifts and ethnicity. However, the study suggested that women exposed to solvents before giving birth to their first child has a higher chance of developing cancer. The period between a woman's puberty and the first childbirth is an important time in relation to breast tissue development. During this period, breast tissue is still vulnerable to chemical exposure.