Dieldrin
Names | |
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IUPAC name
(1aR,2R,2aS,3S,6R,6aR,7S,7aS)-3,4,5,6,9,9-hexachloro-1a,2,2a,3,6,6a,7,7a-octahydro-2,7:3,6-dimethanonaphtho[2,3-b]oxirene
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Other names
Dieldrin, HEOD
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Identifiers | |
3D model (
JSmol ) |
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ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard
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100.000.440 |
KEGG | |
PubChem CID
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UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
C12H8Cl6O | |
Molar mass | 380.91 g/mol |
Appearance | colorless to light tan crystals |
Density | 1.75 g/cm3 |
Melting point | 176 to 177 °C (349 to 351 °F; 449 to 450 K) |
Boiling point | 385 °C (725 °F; 658 K) |
0.02%[1] | |
Hazards | |
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): | |
Main hazards
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potential carcinogen[1] |
Flash point | noncombustible[1] |
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose)
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45 mg/kg (oral, rabbit) 49 mg/kg (oral, guinea pig) 38 mg/kg (oral, mouse) 65 mg/kg (oral, dog) 38 mg/kg (oral, rat)[2] |
LC50 (median concentration)
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80 mg/m3 (cat, 4 hr) 13 mg/m3 (rat, 4 hr)[2] |
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |
PEL (Permissible)
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TWA 0.25 mg/m3 [skin][1] |
REL (Recommended)
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Ca TWA 0.25 mg/m3 [skin][1] |
IDLH (Immediate danger) |
Ca [50 mg/m3][1] |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Dieldrin is an
Originally developed in the 1940s as an alternative to
However, it is an extremely
It has been linked to health problems such as
Production
Dieldrin can be formed from the
Technical dieldrin contains 5-15% related polychloroepoxyoctahydro- dimethanonaphthalenes.[7][8] The estimated combined production volume of aldrin and dieldrin in the US peaked in the mid-1960s at about 20 million pounds a year (2 million pounds of dieldrin) and then declined.[3]
Use
The chemicals dieldrin and aldrin were widely applied in agricultural areas throughout the world. They are synthetic organochlorine cyclodiene pesticides used to control subterranean insect pests such as nargles root maggots, mole cricket grubs and weevils, in agriculture.[9] Both are toxic and bioaccumulative. Aldrin does break down to dieldrin in living systems, but dieldrin is known to resist bacterial and chemical breakdown processes in the environment. Both dieldrin and aldrin have been banned (see Legislation and history below).
Aldrin was used to control soil pests (namely termites) on corn and potato crops. Dieldrin was an insecticide used on fruit, soil, and seed. It persists in the soil with a half-life of five years at temperate latitudes. Both aldrin and dieldrin may be volatilized from sediment and redistributed by air currents, contaminating areas far from their sources. They have been measured in Arctic wildlife, suggesting long range transport from southern agricultural regions.[10]
Metabolism
The metabolism of dieldrin occurs by various routes. Hydration of the
There is an interesting metabolite in rat urine, first described by Klein.[13] The methylene group of the dieldrin links to one end of the ClC:CCl group to form a cage structure. The other end of the original ClC:CCl is converted to a ketone. The same metabolite is produced from the photoisomer of dieldrin, in which the same cage structure is produced, but the other end of the original chlorinated double bond forms a CHCl group.
Legislation and history
Both aldrin and dieldrin have been banned in most developed countries, but aldrin is still used as a termiticide in Malaysia, Thailand, Venezuela and parts of Africa. In Canada, their sale was restricted in the mid-1970s, with the last registered use of the compounds in Canada being withdrawn in 1984.[14]
The
Momentum against organochlorine and similar molecules continued to grow internationally, leading to negotiations that matured as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs). POPs are defined as hazardous and environmentally persistent substances which can be transported between countries by the Earth's oceans and atmosphere.
Most POPs (including dieldrin) bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of humans and other animals. The Stockholm Convention banned twelve POPs, nicknamed "the dirty dozen". These include
Australia
The use of organochlorines in Australia was dramatically lowered between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s. The first restrictions on the use of dieldrin and related chemicals in Australia were introduced in 1961–2, with registration required for their use on produce animals, such as cattle and chickens. This coincided with increasing concerns worldwide about the long-term effects of persistent pesticides. The publication of Silent Spring (an account of the environmental and health effects of pesticides) by Rachel Carson in 1962 was a key driving force in raising this concern. The phase-out process was driven by government bans and deregistration, in turn promoted by changing public perceptions that food containing residues of these chemicals was less acceptable and possibly hazardous to health.[15]
Throughout this time, continuous pressure was maintained by relevant committees, for example the Technical Committee on Agricultural Chemicals (TCAC), to reduce approved organochlorine use. By 1981, the use of dieldrin worldwide was limited to sugarcane and bananas, and these uses were deregistered by 1985. In 1987, a nationwide recall system was put into place, and in December of that year, the government prohibited all imports of these chemicals into Australia without express ministerial approval. In 1994, the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals published a use of organochlorines in termite control, recommending the phase-out of organochlorines used in termite control upon development of viable alternatives. The same year, the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand decided to phase out remaining organochlorine uses by 30 June 1995, with the exception of the Northern Territory. In November 1997, the use of all organochlorines other than mirex was phased out in Australia. Remaining stocks of mirex are to be used only for contained baits for termites in plantations of young trees in the Northern Territory until stocks run out, which is expected in the near future.[15]
The recognition of negative impacts on health has stimulated the implementation of multiple legislative policies in regards to the use and disposal of organochlorine pesticides. For example, the Environment Protection (Marine) Policy 1994 became operational in May 1995 in South Australia. It dictated the acceptable concentration of toxicants such as dieldrin in marine waters and the manner in which these levels must be tested and tried.[15]
References
- ^ a b c d e f NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0206". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
- ^ a b "Dieldrin". Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
- ^ PMID 11250811.
- ^ "Aldrin/Dieldrin | ToxFAQs™ | ATSDR". wwwn.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- PMID 11884232.
- ISBN 978-0-471-85014-4.
- ISBN 92-4-154291-8.
- ISBN 978-92-832-0184-7.
- PMID 35422769.
- ^ Orris P, Chary LK, Perry K, Asbury J (2000). "Aldrin and Dieldrin". Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and human health. A Publication of the World Federation of Public Health Association's Persistent Organic Pollutant Project. WFPHA.
- ^ PMID 37040456. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ISBN 0-30641979-3.
- .
- Environment Canada. "Descriptions of some toxic contaminants found in the Pacific and Yukon Region". Ecoinfo. Archived from the originalon 13 March 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Dieldrin and Breast Cancer: a Literature Review" (PDF). 10 November 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
External links
- Dieldrin and Breast Cancer: a Literature Review, Australian National University / Doctors for the Environment Australia Archived 2009-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Mandocdoc, M. and David, C.P. 2008. Dieldrin Contamination of the Groundwater in a Former US Military Base (Clark Air Base, Philippines). CLEAN Air, Soil, Water Journal 36 (10–11), 870–874.
- International Programme on Chemical Safety
- CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards