Toxicity of Chlordane: Occupational and Environmental Implications

TOXICOLOGY
CHLORDANE

Introduction
• Poisoning is taking place at both occupational and
environmental levels.
• According to the United States Centre for
Environmental Research Information (2017), an
estimated 350000 people perished worldwide as a
result of unintentional poisoning.
• Many occupational and health experts have agreed that
the rate of exposure to hazards is directly proportional
to the type of work, environment—chemical,
ergonomic settings, and biological agents.

Background Information
• Chlordane belongs to a group of
compounds that are chemically referred to
as chlorinated cyclodienes (Franklin and
Joseph 2013).
• Chlordane is available in both pure and
technical grades based on the intended use.
• Chlordane is used to as an insecticide and
pesticide especially termiticide
(Environmental Research Laboratory,
2012).
• Emulsifiable concentrate of chlordane—
commonly known as technical chlordane
—is sold for use in water as suspension
which can be spayed.
• Chlordane is also available in powder form
which is normally adulterated with mineral
specks of dust such as talc (Clement
International Corporation., & United
States, 2015).

Routes of Exposure
• Most of the people who get
exposed to chlordane say it
happens via. active inhalation.
• Vaporisation due to high
temperature makes it volatile
and give it odourless property
most people get exposed to it
without adequate warning.
• Chlordane is absorbed rapidly
via the skin leading to
systematic toxicity.