Naftalan or Naphtalan is a type of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

. It is named after

Naftalan, Azerbaijan Naftalan is a city in Azerbaijan, surrounded by the district of Goranboy. It's located on an agricultural plain near the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The word ''naftalan'' also means a petroleum product that can be obtained there. It is the centre ...

, where it is found. It is known for its high

naphthalene Naphthalene is an organic compound with formula . It is the simplest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and is a white crystalline solid with a characteristic odor that is detectable at concentrations as low as 0.08 ppm by mass. As an aromati ...

content and use in

alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...

. While Naftalan crude oil is too heavy for normal export uses (unlike Azerbaijan's plentiful Caspian Sea oil), it contains about 50 percent

cycloalkane In organic chemistry, the cycloalkanes (also called naphthenes, but distinct from naphthalene) are the monocyclic saturated hydrocarbons. In other words, a cycloalkane consists only of hydrogen and carbon atoms arranged in a structure containing ...

s (naphthenic hydrocarbons).Andrew E. Kramer
Bathing in Black Gold for Health and Profit in Azerbaijan
''The New York Times'', December 4, 2006. In Azerbaijan, people using the oil generally sit in a bath and are covered in oil up to their necks. There are numerous petroleum

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

s in the city of Naftalan itself.Andrew E. Kramer
Naftalan: The Azerbaijan resort where guests bathe in crude oil
''CNN'', June 28, 20018.

History

After the oil boom at the turn of the 20th century, the Baku naftalan started to be extracted in higher volumes, and exported to Germany. After the borders were closed following the

1917 Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

, it fell into oblivion in the west. It still attracted some attention in the Soviet Union, when the Azerbaijan Medical University opened a small health resort in 1933. In the 1930s, academician T. G. Pashayev started to try to isolate naphthalan from industrial paraffin and naphthene oils and proposed the term, though more current research indicates that the term "earth mineral oil” is more appropriate for what he described in his paper published in Moscow in 1959.

Health effects

Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may damage or destroy red blood cells, most commonly in people with the inherited condition known as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, which over 400 million people suffer from. Humans, in particular children, have developed the condition known as hemolytic anemia, after ingesting mothballs or deodorant blocks containing naphthalene. Symptoms include

fatigue Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

, lack of appetite, restlessness, and pale skin. Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may cause confusion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the urine, and

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme meta ...

(yellow coloration of the skin due to dysfunction of the liver). The US

National Toxicology Program The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is an inter-agency program run by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate, evaluate, and report on toxicology within public agencies. The National Toxicology Program is headqua ...

(NTP) held an experiment where male and female rats and mice were exposed to naphthalene vapors on weekdays for two years. Both male and female rats exhibited evidence of carcinogenesis with increased incidences of

adenoma An adenoma is a benign tumor of epithelial tissue with glandular origin, glandular characteristics, or both. Adenomas can grow from many glandular organs, including the adrenal glands, pituitary gland, thyroid, prostate, and others. Some adenom ...

and neuroblastoma of the nose. Female mice exhibited some evidence of carcinogenesis based on increased incidences of

alveolar Alveolus (; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit. Uses in anatomy and zoology * Pulmonary alveolus, an air sac in the lungs ** Alveolar cell or pneumocyte ** Alveolar duct ** Alveolar macrophage * ...

and bronchiolar

s of the

lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

, while male mice exhibited no evidence of carcinogenesis. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies naphthalene as possibly carcinogenic to humans and animals ( Group 2B). The IARC also points out that acute exposure causes cataracts in humans,

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

s, and

mice A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

; and that hemolytic anemia (described above) can occur in children and infants after oral or inhalation exposure or after maternal exposure during pregnancy. Under California's Proposition 65, naphthalene is listed as "known to the State to cause cancer".Proposition 65
, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment A probable mechanism for the carcinogenic effects of mothballs and some types of air fresheners containing naphthalene has been identified.
''Physorg.com'', June 20, 2006. US government agencies have set occupational exposure limits to naphthalene exposure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set a permissible exposure limit at 10 ppm (50 mg/m³) over an eight-hour time-weighted average. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has set a recommended exposure limit at 10 ppm (50 mg/m³) over an eight-hour time-weighted average, as well as a short-term exposure limit at 15 ppm (75 mg/m³).CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
/ref> Naphthalene's minimum odor threshold is 0.084 ppm for humans.https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/naphthalene.pdf Mothballs and other products containing naphthalene have been banned within the EU since 2008. In

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, the use of naphthalene in mothballs is forbidden. Danger to human health and the common use of natural

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel ('' Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the k ...

are cited as reasons for the ban.

References

{{reflist Petroleum Pseudoscience Alternative medicine Naftalan, Azerbaijan Naphthalenes