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The information in this profile may be out-of-date. It was last revised in 1996. EXTOXNET no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Please visit the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) to find updated pesticide fact sheets. If you don't find a fact sheet related to your question, feel free to call 1-800-858-7378. NPIC is open five days a week from 8:00am to 12:00pm Pacific Time.

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E X T O X N E T

Extension Toxicology Network

Pesticide Information Profiles

A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.

EXTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University

Revised June 1996

Chlordane

Trade and Other Names: In addition to chlordane, common names have included chlordan and clordano. Trade names include Belt, Chlor Kil, Chlortox, Corodane, Gold Crest C-100, Kilex Lindane, Kypchlor, Niran, Octachlor, Synklor, Termex, Topiclor 20, Toxichlor, and Velsicol 1068.

Regulatory Status: Because of concern about the risk of cancer, use of chlordane was canceled in April, 1988. Between 1983 and 1988 the only permitted use for chlordane was for control of subterranean termites. Chlordane is no longer distributed in the U.S. The only commercial use still permitted is for fire ant control in power transformers. It was classified toxicity class II - moderately toxic. Products containing chlordane bear the Signal Word WARNING.

Chemical Class: organochlorine

Introduction: Chlordane is a persistent organochlorine insecticide. It kills insects when ingested and on contact. Formulations include dusts, emulsifiable concentrates, granules, oil solutions, and wettable powders.

Formulation: Formulations include dusts, emulsifiable concentrates, granules, oil solutions, and wettable powders.

Toxicological Effects:

• Acute toxicity: Chlordane is moderately to highly toxic through all routes of exposure. Symptoms usually start within 45 minutes to several hours after exposure to a toxic dose. Convulsions may be the first sign of poisoning, or they may be preceded by nausea, vomiting, and gut pain. Initially, poisoning victims may appear agitated or excited, but later they may become depressed, uncoordinated, tired, or confused. Other symptoms reported in cases of chlordane poisoning include headaches, dizziness, vision problems, irritability, and weakness or muscle twitching. In severe cases, respiratory failure and death may occur. Complete recovery from a toxic exposure to chlordane is possible if proper medical treatment is administered [2,20]. Chlordane is very irritating to the skin and eyes [21,22]. Chlordane affects liver function, so many interactions between medicines and this pesticide may occur. Among these are decreased effectiveness of anticoagulants, phenylbutazone, chlorpromazine, steroids, birth control pills, and diphenhydramine. Increased activity of thyroid hormone may also occur [23]. The oral LD50 for chlordane in rats is 200 to 700 mg/kg, in mice is 145 to 430 mg/kg, in rabbits is 20 to 300 mg/kg, and in hamsters is 1720 mg/kg [2,9]. The dermal LD50 in rabbits is 780 mg/kg, and in rats is 530 to 690 mg/kg [9,17]. The 4-hour inhalation LD50 in cats is 100 mg/L [17,24].
• Chronic toxicity: Liver lesions and changes in blood serum occurred in rats exposed to 1.0 mg/L chlordane in air. Increased kidney weights occurred in rats exposed to 10 mg/L. For monkeys, increased liver weight occurred at 10 mg/L [20]. Animal studies have shown that consumption of chlordane has caused damage to the liver and the central nervous system [20,21]. In a 2-year feeding study with rats, a near-lethal dose of 300 mg/kg/day produced eye and nose hemorrhaging, severe changes in the tissues of the liver, kidney, heart, lungs, adrenal gland, and spleen. In this same study, no adverse effects were observed in rats fed 5 mg/kg/day. In a long-term feeding study with mice, body weight loss, increased liver weight, and death occurred at doses of 22 to 63.8 mg/kg/day. Dogs fed doses of 15 and 30 mg/kg/day exhibited increased liver weights [2,20].
• Reproductive effects: Chlordane has been shown to affect reproduction in test animals. Fertility was reduced by about 50% in mice injected with chlordane at 22 mg/kg once a week for 3 weeks [25]. The data suggest that reproductive effects in humans are unlikely at expected exposure levels.
• Teratogenic effects: No teratogenic effects were observed in rats born to dams fed chlordane at 5 to 300 mg/kg/day for 2 years [20]. It is unlikely that chlordane will cause teratogenic effects in humans.
• Mutagenic effects: Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides (such as chlordane) are generally not mutagenic [2]. It was reported that 15 out of 17 mutagenicity tests performed with chlordane have shown no mutagenic effects [25]. Thus, chlordane is weakly or nonmutagenic.
• Carcinogenic effects: The EPA has classified that chlordane as a probable human carcinogen. Chlordane has caused liver cancer in mice given doses of 30 to 64 mg/kg/day for 80 weeks [24]. However, a study was done on workers at a manufacturing plant who had been exposed to chlorinated hydrocarbons for 34 years, including chlordane. No increase in any type of cancer was found [24,25].
• Organ toxicity: In clinical studies of acute or chronic exposure to chlordane, the effects most frequently observed are central nervous system effects, liver effects, and blood disorders [25]. Chronic exposure to chlordane may cause jaundice in humans. Chlordane may also cause blood diseases including aplastic anemia and acute leukemia in rats [20].

• Fate in humans and animals: Chlordane is absorbed into the body through the lungs, stomach, and skin. It is stored in fatty tissues as well as in the kidneys, muscles, liver, and brain [2,20]. Chlordane has been found in human fat samples at concentrations of 0.03 to 0.4 mg/kg in U.S. residents [20]. Chlorinated hydrocarbons stored in fatty tissues can become released into circulation if these fatty tissues are metabolized, as in starvation or intense activity [2]. Chlordane that is not stored in the body is excreted through the urine and feces. Chlordane has been found in human breast milk [25]. Rats that breathed chlordane vapor for 30 minutes retained 77% of the total amount inhaled. Rabbits that received 4 doses of chlordane stored it in fatty tissues, the brain, kidneys, liver, and muscles [2]. Excretion of orally administered chlordane is slow and can take days to weeks. The biological half-life of chlordane in the blood serum of a 4-year-old child who drank an emulsifiable concentrate of chlordane was 88 days. In another accidental poisoning of a 20-month-old child, the half-life was 21 days [20,25].

Ecological Effects:

• Effects on birds: Chlordane is moderately to slightly toxic to birds. The LD50 in bobwhite quail is 83 mg/kg. The 8-day dietary LC50 for chlordane is 858 ppm in mallard ducks, 331 ppm in bobwhite quail, and 430 ppm in pheasant [9,26].
• Effects on aquatic organisms: Chlordane is very highly toxic to fresh water invertebrates and fish. The LC50 (96-hour) for chlordane in bluegill is 0.057 to 0.075 mg/L and 0.042 to 0.090 mg/L in rainbow trout [9,17,26]. Chlordane bioaccumulates in bacteria and in marine and freshwater fish species [17]. Expected bioaccumulation factors for chlordane are in excess of 3000 times background water concentrations indicating that bioconcentration is significant for this compound.
• Effects on other organisms: Chlordane is highly toxic to bees and earthworms [26]. Studies done in the late 1970s showed that the fatty tissues of land and water wildlife contained large amounts of cyclodiene insecticides, including chlordane [20].

Environmental Fate:

• Breakdown in soil and groundwater: Chlordane is highly persistent in soils with a half-life of about 4 years. Several studies have found chlordane residues in excess of 10% of the initially applied amount 10 years or more after application [20]. Sunlight may break down a small amount of the chlordane exposed to light [9]. Evaporation is the major route of removal from soils [20]. Chlordane does not chemically degrade and is not subject to biodegradation in soils. Despite its persistence, chlordane has a low potential for groundwater contamination because it is both insoluble in water and rapidly binds to soil particles making it highly immobile within the soil [14]. Chlordane molecules usually remain adsorbed to clay particles or to soil organic matter in the top soil layers and slowly volatilize into the atmosphere [14,20]. However, very low levels of chlordane (0.01 to 0.001 ug/L) have been detected in both ground and surface waters in areas where chlordane was heavily used [21,25]. Sandy soils allow the passage of chlordane to groundwater.
• Breakdown in water: Chlordane does not degrade rapidly in water. It can exit aquatic systems by adsorbing to sediments or by volatilization. The volatilization half-life for chlordane in lakes and ponds is estimated to be less than 10 days [20]. Chlordane has been detected in surface water, groundwater, suspended solids, sediments, bottom detritus, drinking water, sewage sludge, and urban run-off, but not in rain water. Concentrations detected in surface water have been very low, while those found in suspended solids and sediments are always higher (<0.03 to 580 ug/L). The presence of chlordane in drinking water has almost always been associated with an accident rather than with normal use [20].
• Breakdown in vegetation: No data are currently available.

Physical Properties:

• Appearance: Technical chlordane is actually a mixture of at least 23 different components, including chlordane isomers, other chlorinated hydrocarbons, and by-products. It is a viscous, colorless or amber-colored liquid with a chlorine-like odor [9].
• Chemical Name: 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,8-octachloro-2,3,3a,4,7,7a-hexahydro-4,7-methanoindene [9]
• CAS Number: 57-74-9
• Molecular Weight: 409.83
• Water Solubility: 0.1 mg/L @ 25 C [9]
• Solubility in Other Solvents: s. in most organic solvents, including petroleum oils [9]
• Melting Point: 104-107 C [9]
• Vapor Pressure: 1.3 mPa @ 25 C [9]
• Partition Coefficient: 2.78 [17]
• Adsorption Coefficient: 20,000 [14]

Exposure Guidelines:

• ADI: 0.0005 mg/kg/day [27]
• MCL: 0.002 mg/L [8]
• RfD: 0.00006 mg/kg/day [8]
• PEL: 0.5 mg/m3 (8-hour) [8]
• HA: Not Available
• TLV: Not Available

Basic Manufacturer:

Velsicol Chemical Corporation
10400 W. Higgins Rd.
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119

• Phone: 708-298-9000
• Emergency: Not Available
  

References:

References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List Number 6

DISCLAIMER: The information in this profile does not in any way replace or supersede the information on the pesticide product labeling or other regulatory requirements. Please refer to the pesticide product labeling.