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IPEN Body Burden Community Monitoring Handbook PesticidesHEPTACHLOR Chemical Name: 1,4,5,6,7,8,8-Heptachloro-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-methanoindene (C10H5Cl7). CAS Number: 76-44-8 Properties: Solubility in water: 180 µg/L at 25°C; vapour pressure: 0.3 x 10 -5 mm Hg at 20°C; log KOW: 4.4-5.5. Production/Uses: Heptachlor is used primarily against soil insects and termites, but also against cotton insects, grasshoppers, and malaria mosquitoes. Heptachlor epoxide is a more stable breakdown product of heptachlor. Persistence/Fate: Heptachlor is metabolised in soils, plants and animals to heptachlor epoxide, which is more stable in biological systems and is carcinogenic. The half-life of heptachlor in soil is in temperate regions 0.75 – 2 years. Its high partition coefficient provides the necessary conditions for bioconcentrating in organisms. Toxicity: The acute toxicity of heptachlor to mammals is moderate (LD50 values between 40 and 119 mg/kg have been published). The toxicity to aquatic organisms is higher and LC50 values down to 0.11 µg/L have been found for pink shrimp. Limited information is available on the effects in humans and studies are inconclusive regarding heptachlor and cancer. The maximum residue levels recommended by FAO/WHO are between 0.006 mg/kg milk fat and 0.2 mg/kg meat or poultry fat. Source: UNEP Chemicals, Regional Reports of the Regionally Based Assessment of Persistent Toxic Substances Program (2002) Available from: http://www.chem.unep.ch/pts UNEP Chemicals 11-13, chemin des Anemones CH-1219 Chatelaine, GE Switzerland. 
IPEN Body Burden Community Monitoring Handbook - 2003 |
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