| Units | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| CAS | 608-93-5 | - | - |
| Molecular formula | C6HCl5 | - | - |
| Molar weight | 250.34 | g mol-1 | - |
| Melting point | 86 | °C | [1] |
| Boiling point | 277 | °C | [1] |
| log KOW | 5.22 | - | [2] |
| Water solubility | 0.9055 | g m-3 | [2] |
| Vapor pressure | 0.227 | Pa | [2] |
| Henry's law constant | 0.0012 | atm m3 mol-1 | [2] |
| log KOA | 6.712 | - | [2] |
| log KOC | 3.569 | - | [2] |
Pentachlorobenzene is a manufactured chemical substance in the chlorine family that is found in the form of white or colourless crystals.
Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) is used to make pentachloronitrobenzene, a fungicide. In addition, it has been and is currently used as a fire retardant. PeCB was used as a fungicide or flame retardant.
PeCB was used as a fungicide or flame retardant. If PeCB still has these uses anywhere in the world is unknown. Formerly, PeCB was used in Canada in combination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in dielectric fluids (CEPA, 1993). After banning PCB containing dielectric fluids in 1980 the amount of PeCB used for this purpose declined considerably. In 1992 still small amounts –80 kg per year – were imported in Canada for this use. Recent information is not available. PeCB is not registered in any of the products in the Swedish products register, also not as pollutant in other chlorinated products (in the Swedish products register all chemical products imported or manufactured in more than 100 kg/year are registered. All ingredients giving the product it's hazardous properties have to be declared and all non-hazardous if contained in more than 5%.).
Pentachlorobenzene could be found in the fluids that were used to top up polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) transformers and in dyestuff carriers. These applications have either been discontinued or are being phased out. Pentachlorobenzene is found in small amounts in the fungicide pentachloronitrobenzene (also known as quintozene), which is currently used, but not produced, in Canada. Pentachlorobenzene is present as an impurity in this fungicide and in several herbicides, pesticides and fungicides currently in use. Pentachlorobenzene is also contained as an impurity in pentachlorophenol, a wood treatment chemical that is used in Canada. In North America, the only currently registered uses for pentachlorophenol are for pressure and thermal treatment of railway ties, utility poles, pilings and outdoor construction materials. Pentachlorobenzene may be generated when organic compounds are burned or exposed to a large source of energy in the presence of a chlorine source. Through this mechanism, they may be formed and released into the environment as a result of waste incineration and barrel burning of household waste.
Assessments of pentachlorobenzene show that it is a persistent and bioaccumulative chemical substance that could have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment and biological diversity.
PeCB is moderately toxic to humans based on the available acute and subchronic studies. Insufficient evidence was available to conclude that the substance is teratogenic. Based on the chronic ecotoxicity data it can be concluded that the substance is also moderately toxic to aquatic organisms. It can be concluded that PeCB meets the criterion for toxicity.
- AOAC Official Method 990.06 Organochlorine Pesticides in Water. Gas Chromatographic Method. 2005 AOAC International
- AOAC Official Method 990.06 Organochlorine Pesticide Contamination of Pesticide Formulations. ThinLayer Chromatographic Method. 2005 AOAC International
- EPA Method 8081A: Organochlorine Pesticides by Gas Chromatography (and ECD)EPA Method 8270C: Semivolatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
- EPA Method 8270C: Semivolatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
- ISO 6468 (1996) Water quality Determination of certain organochlorine insecticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and chlorobenzenes Gas chromatographic method after liquidliquid extraction
- ISO 10382 (2002): Soil quality Determination of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls Gaschromatographic method with electron capture detection
[1] Lide, D.R., Editor (2003) Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 84th Edition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
[2] -US EPA. [2009]. Estimation Programs Interface Suite™ for Microsoft® Windows, v 4.00]. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
[3] IPCS: Intox Databank, http://www.intox.org/databank/index.htm
[4] ATSDR: Agency for toxic substances and disease registery, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
[5] TOXNET: TOXikology Data NETwork TOXNET - http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/
[6] IRZ: Integrovaný registr znečišťování životního prostředí (IRZ) : http://www.irz.cz/
