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IPEN Body Burden Community Monitoring Handbook PesticidesMIREX Chemical Name: 1,1a,2,2,3,3a,4,5,5a,5b,6-Dodecachloroacta-hydro-1,3,4-metheno-1H-cyclobuta[cd]pentalene (C10Cl12). CAS Number: 2385-85-5 Properties: Solubility in water: 0.07 µg/L at 25°C; vapour pressure: 3 x 10 -7 mm Hg at 25°C; log KOW: 5.28. Discovery/Uses: The use in pesticide formulations started in the mid 1950s largely focused on the control of ants. It is also a fire retardant for plastics, rubber, paint, paper and electrical goods. Technical grade preparations of mirex contain 95.19% mirex and 2.58% chlordecone, the rest being unspecified. Mirex is also used to refer to bait comprising corncob grits, soya bean oil, and mirex. Persistence/Fate: Mirex is considered to be one of the most stable and persistent pesticides, with a half-life in soils of up to 10 years. Bioconcentration factors of 2600 and 51400 have been observed in pink shrimp and fathead minnows, respectively. It is capable of undergoing long-range transport due to its relative volatility (VPL = 4.76 Pa; H = 52 Pa m 3 /mol). Toxicity: The acute toxicity of Mirex for mammals is moderate with an LD50 in rat of 235 mg/kg and dermal toxicity in rabbits of 80 mg/kg. Mirex is also toxic to fish and can affect their behaviour (LC50 (96 hr) from 0.2 to 30 mg/L for rainbow trout and bluegill, respectively). Delayed mortality of crustaceans occurred at 1 µg/L exposure levels. There is evidence of its potential for endocrine disruption and possibly carcinogenic risk to humans. 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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