Hexachlorobenzene is a fumigant fungicide. It has a low aqueous solubility and is volatile with a low potential for leaching to groundwater. It may be very persistent in soil systems. Hexachlorobenzene las a low mammalian toxicity but a high potential to bioaccumulate. It may also be carcinogenic. It is highly toxic to fish and moderately toxic to birds, aquatic invertebrates, algae and earthworms.
Data alerts
The following alerts are based on the data in the tables below. An absence of an alert does not imply the substance has no implications for human health, biodiversity or the environment but just that we do not have the data to form a judgement.
Environmental fate
Ecotoxicity
Human health
Environmental fate High alert: Potential for particle bound transport: High
Warning: Significant data are missing
Ecotoxicity High alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: High; Fish chronic ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia chronic ecotoxicity: High
Human health High alert: Carcinogen; Endocrine disrupter
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
An chlorinated hydrocarbon fungicide used to control bunt and a pesticide transformation product
Example pests controlled
Common and Dwarf bunt
Example applications
Wheat and some other cereals
Efficacy & activity
-
Availability status
Banned in many countries
Introduction & key dates
circa 1947, introduced
UK regulatory status
UK COPR regulatory status
Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires
Expired
UK LERAP status
No UK approval for use as a pesticide
EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)
EC Regulation 1107/2009 status
Not approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur
Not applicable
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires
Expired
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)
Not applicable
Listed in EU database
Yes
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 in the following EU Member States
ATAustria
BEBelgium
BGBulgaria
CYCyprus
CZCzech Republic
DEGermany
DKDenmark
EEEstonia
ELGreece
ESSpain
FIFinland
FRFrance
HRCroatia
HUHungary
IEIreland
ITItaly
LTLithuania
LULuxembourg
LVLatvia
MTMalta
NLNetherlands
PLPoland
PTPortugal
RORomania
SESweden
SISlovenia
SKSlovakia
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 by Mutual Recognition of Authorisation and/or national regulations in the following EEA countries
EU Directive 2008/105/EC EQS surface waters: annual average 0.01 µg l⁻¹; max measured 0.05 µg l⁻¹ UK Statutory standard for the protection of aquatic life in inland, coastal and territorial waters: 0.03 µg l⁻¹ as annual average Other standards are also available
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
Bayer
Example products using this active
Anticarie
Bent-cure
Granero
No Bunt
Formulation and application details
Often used as a seed dressing.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
0.0047
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data
Low
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Melting point (°C)
226
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Boiling point (°C)
325
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Degradation point (°C)
-
-
-
Flashpoint (°C)
242
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
8.51 X 1003
Calculated
-
Log P
3.93
H4 H = The US ARS pesticide properties database. Dataset is no longer available. 4 = Verified data
High
Fat solubility of residues
Solubility
Soluble
A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
-
Data type
Regulatory data - observed in metabolism and farm animal feeding studies
A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
-
Density (g ml⁻¹)
2.044
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
-
-
-
-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)
1.45
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data
Low volatility. If applied directly to plants or soil, drift is a concern & mitigation is advisable
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
1.03 X 1001
H4 H = The US ARS pesticide properties database. Dataset is no longer available. 4 = Verified data
Moderately volatile
Volatilisation as max % of applied dose lost
From plant surface
-
-
-
From soil surface
-
-
-
Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹
-
-
-
Surface tension (mN m⁻¹)
-
-
-
Degradation
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
General biodegradability
-
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)
DT₅₀ (typical)
2000
G3 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
Very persistent
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
General literature states DT₅₀ range 2.7-7.5 years, highly persistent
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix
Value
9.7
R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Note
Lettuce leaves, n=1
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Air degradation
As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below.
Decay in stored produce DT₅₀
-
Soil adsorption and mobility
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Linear
Kd (mL g⁻¹)
-
G3 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-mobile
Koc (mL g⁻¹)
50000
Notes and range
-
Freundlich
Kf (mL g⁻¹)
-
-
-
Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)
-
1/n
-
Notes and range
-
pH sensitivity
-
Fate indices
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
GUS leaching potential index
-2.31
Calculated
Low leachability
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate
Value
5.35 X 10-03
Calculated
-
Note
Estimated concentrations of chemicals with Koc values greater than 9995 ml g⁻¹ are beyond the scope of the regression data used in SCI-GROW development. If there are concerns for such chemicals, a higher tier groundwater exposure assessment should be considered, regardless of the concentration returned by SCI-GROW
Potential for particle bound transport index
High
Calculated
-
Potential for loss via drain flow
Non-mobile
Calculated
-
Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀ (hrs) as indicator of long-range air transport risk
-
-
-
Bio-concentration factor
BCF (l kg⁻¹)
35000
A3 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
(Other literature values Log BCF range 1.6-5.4 (R3); PIC DGD gives BCF range 375-35000)
High potential
CT₅₀ (days)
Not available
-
Known metabolites
None
ECOTOXICOLOGY
Terrestrial ecotoxicology
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 10000
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Rat
Low
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL
(mg kg⁻¹)
-
-
-
(ppm diet)
-
-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 575
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data
F2 F = U.S. EPA ECOTOX database / U.S. EPA pesticide fate database / Miscellaneous WHO documents / FAO data, IPCS INCHEM data (US EPA Databases Related to Pesticide Risk Assessment ) 2 = Unverified data of unknown source
Primary source of exposure is via diet but risk is low as substance is banned
Occupational
Risk via exhalation
MRLs
European
EU MRL pesticide database
Great Britain
GB MRL Register
Notes
-
Drinking Water Standards
-
-
-
Drinking Water MAC (μg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate
-
-
-
Health issues
Specific human health issues
Carcinogen
Genotoxic
Endocrine disruptor
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
A0 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
B0 B = DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
C0 C = Gene mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
D0 D = Genome mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
E3 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 3 = Negative
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
Reproduction / development effects
Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor
Neurotoxicant
?Possibly, status not identified
XNo, known not to cause a problem
No data found
Respiratory tract irritant
Skin irritant
Skin sensitiser
No data found
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
No data found
Eye irritant
Phototoxicant
XNo, known not to cause a problem
No data found
General human health issues
Extremely hazardous IARC Group 2B carcinogen; CLP data - known human carcinogen; US NTP - suspected carcinogen; US EPA - probable human carcinogen Endocrine issues - Severely disruption of thyroid hormone production
Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242
Environmental fate
Warning:
