Lindane, kepone and pentachlorobenzene: chloropesticides banned by Stockholm convention

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants are a serious problem to the environment due to their toxicity to both fauna and flora. Extremely resistant to biodegradation and prone to transfer through long distances via atmosphere can contaminate almost any place in the planet. They tend to bioaccumulate in fat tissue due to their lipophilicity and seriously affect poisoned organism’s nervous, hepatic, reproductive or hormonal system. Since 2009, due to the Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants production and utilisation of certain halogenated pesticides has been prohibited. This group includes hexachlorocyclohexane, chlordecone (kepone) and pentachlorobenzene. All of these chloropesticides pose a serious threat to environment, and careful control of their production and release to the environment is required. This paper is a review of physical and chemical properties as well as sources in environment, impact on animal organisms, methods of degradation of most broadly used chlorinated persistent organic pollutants and suggestions concerning their utilisation.