Chemical Properties
BHC is a white-to-brownish crystalline solid
with a musty, phosgene-like odor.
Physical properties
Solid crystals or fine platelets with a faint musty-like odor
Uses
δ-1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexachlorocyclohexane is an organochloride annd is one of the isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane. aδ-1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexachlorocyclohexane is also an byproduct of insecticide Lindane (L465990)
.
Definition
ChEBI: Beta-hexachlorocyclohexane is the beta-isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane. It has a role as a persistent organic pollutant. It is an organochlorine pesticide and a hexachlorocyclohexane.
General Description
Slightly musty odor.
Reactivity Profile
LINDANE may be incompatible with strong oxidizing and reducing agents. Incompatible with some amines, nitrides, azo/diazo compounds, with alkali metals, and with epoxides.
Health Hazard
ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS: Highly toxic. May cause irritation on contact. Hazardous decomposition products.
Potential Exposure
The major commercial usage of BHC
is based upon its insecticidal properties. α-BCH is used as
an Agricultural chemical, pesticide, pharmaceutical, and
veterinary drug. The 7-isomer has the highest acute toxic ity, but the other isomers are not without activity. It is gen erally advantageous to purify the 7-isomer from the less
active isomers. The γ-isomer acts on the nervous system of
insects, principally at the level of the nerve ganglia. As a
result, lindane has been used against insects in a wide range
of applications including treatment of animals, buildings,
humans for ectoparasites, clothes; water for mosquitoes;
living plants; seeds and soils. Some applications have been
abandoned due to excessive residues, e.g., stored food stuffs. By voluntary action, the principal domestic producer
of technical grade BHC requested cancellation of its BHC
registrations on September 1, 1976. As of July 21, 1978, all
registrants of pesticide products containing BHC voluntar ily canceled their registrations or switched their former
BHC products to lindane formulations.
Environmental Fate
Biological. Dehydrochlorination of δ-BHC by a Pseudomonas sp. under aerobic con ditions was reported by Sahu et al. (1992). They also reported that when deionized water
containing δ-BHC was inoculated with Pseudomonas sp., the concentration of δ-BHC
decreased to undetectable levels after 8 days with concomitant formation of chloride ions
and δ-pentachlorocyclohexane. In four successive 7-day incubation periods, δ-BHC (5 and
10 mg/L) was recalcitrant to degradation in a settled domestic wastewater inoculum (Tabak
et al., 1981).
Chemical/Physical. δ-BHC dehydrochlorinates in the presence of alkalies. The hydrol ysis half-lives at pH values of 7 and 9 are 191 days and 11 hours, respectively (Worthing
and Hance, 1991).
Shipping
UN2761 Organochlorine pesticides, solid, toxic,
Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials.
Incompatibilities
Incompatible with oxidizers (chlorates,
nitrates, peroxides, permanganates, perchlorates, chlorine,
bromine, fluorine, etc.); contact may cause fires or explo sions. Keep away from alkaline materials, strong bases,
strong acids, oxoacids, epoxides. Decomposes on contact
with powdered iron, aluminum, zinc, and on contact with
strong bases producing trichlorobenzene.
Waste Disposal
A process has been developed
for the destructive pyrolysis of benzene hexachloride @
400 500℃ with a catalyst mixture which contains 5 10%
of either cupric chloride, ferric chloride; zinc chloride; or
aluminum chloride on activated carbon.
