Chlordane (Ref: OMS 1437)	Last updated: 13/11/2024
(Also known as: M140; ENT 9932; aspon-chlordane; kypchlor; chlorodane)

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SUMMARY

Chlordane is an insecticide. It has a low aqueous solubility, is quite volatile and is not normally expected to leach to groundwater. It can be very persistent in both soil and water systems. It is moderately toxic to mammals and has a high potential for bio-concentration. It is also neurotoxic and a skin and eye irritant. It is highly toxic to birds, fish and moderately toxic to honeybees.

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: Birds acute ecotoxicity: High; Fish acute ecotoxicity: High; Bees acute contact ecotoxicity: High	Human health High alert: Endocrine disrupter; Neurotoxicant

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	An organochlorine insecticide once commonly used to control a range of pests but now obsolete and banned
Example pests controlled	Termites; Ants; Wasps; Cockroaches
Example applications	Corn; Citrus; Vegetables; Turf & laens
Efficacy & activity	-
Availability status	Considered obsolete but may be available in some countries
Introduction & key dates	circa 1950, introduced

GB regulatory status

GB COPR regulatory status	Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	Expired/Banned
GB 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	-
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires	Expired/Banned
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)	-
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	ISIceland NONorway

Additional information

Also used in	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	A chiral molecule. Chlordane is a a complex mixture of isomers, other chlorinated hydrocarbons, and a range of by-products
Chemical formula	C₁₀H₆Cl₈
Canonical SMILES	C1C2C(C(C1Cl)Cl)C3(C(=C(C2(C3(Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	BIWJNBZANLAXMG-UHFFFAOYSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C10H6Cl8/c11-3-1-2-4(5(3)12)9(16)7(14)6(13)8(2,15)10(9,17)18/h2-5H,1H2
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre diagrams

Common Name	Relationship	Link
Cis-chlordane	Isomer
Trans-chlordane	Isomer

General status

Pesticide type	Insecticide
Substance groups	Organochloride insecticide; Cyclodiene insecticide
Minimum active substance purity	-
Known relevant impurities	Technical chlordane may contain a large number of different compounds including chlordane isomers
Substance origin	Synthetic
Mode of action	Non systemic with contact, stomach and respiratory action. GABA-gated chloride channel antagonist.
CAS RN	57-74-9
EC number	200-349-0
CIPAC number	13
US EPA chemical code	058201
PubChem CID	5993
CLP index number	602-047-00-6
Molecular mass	409.78
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	(1E,2E,3aE,4E,7E,7aE)-1,2,4,5,6,7,8,8-octachloro-2,3,3a,4,7,7a-hexahydro-4,7-methano-1H-indene
IUPAC name	1,2,4,5,6,7,8,8-octachloro-2,3,3a,4,7,7a-hexahydro-4,7-methanoindene
CAS name	1,2,4,5,6,7,8,8-octachloro-2,3,3a,4,7,7a-hexahydro-4,7-methano-1H-indene
Other status information	POP - regulated by Stockholm Convention; PAN Bad Actor Chemical; LRTAP Annex I; OSPAR soc; Marine Pollutant; Rotterdam Convention (Class II) - subject to PIC regulations
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards	-
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)	Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)	Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)	2A
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance	Blattella germanica, Conoderus falli, Ctenocephalides felis, Epitrix tuberis, Psilia rosae, plus others
Physical state	Straw coloured viscous liquid in raw state but powder in product form

Formulations

Property	Value
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Velsicol Dow
Example products using this active	Toxichlor Kypchlor Dowchlor Octachlor Belt
Formulation and application details	Available in a variety of different formulations including enulsifiable concentrates, granules, dusts, wettable powders and oils.

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		0.1	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)		Miscible	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Acetone	-
		Miscible	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Ethanol	-
		Miscible	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Cyclohexanone	-
		Miscible	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Isopropanol	-
Melting point (°C)		106	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data	-
Boiling point (°C)		-	-	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	6.03 X 1002	Calculated	-
	Log P	2.78	G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Moderate
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)		1.61	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		Not applicable	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
		No dissociation
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		1.3	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)		0.00039	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-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)	365	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 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	Other sources: DT₅₀ approx 1 year - persistent (R2); 283 days to 3.8 years (R3); FAO state DT₅₀ = 4 years
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix	Value	26.6	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data	-
	Note	Published literature RL₅₀ range 2.3-76.0 days, 4 field crops, various matrices, n=4
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	Stable	P2 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Stable
	Note	Not significant degradation route but rate increases in presence of other chemicals such as acetone
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	Stable	P2 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Stable
	Note	Not significant degradation route
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Sediment 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)	20000
	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		-0.77	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)	8460	F3 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 ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Whole body (Literature values log BCF range 4.3-4.4 (R3)	High potential
	CT₅₀ (days)	1		-

Known soil metabolites

Metabolite	Major/Minor fraction	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	Notes
oxychlordane	-	-	-

Known groundwater metabolites

None

Other known metabolites

None

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		460	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Rat	Moderate
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL	(mg kg⁻¹)	5	G3 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	High
	(ppm diet)	-		-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		83	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Colinus virginianus	High
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)		-	-	-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Soil micro-organisms		-	-	-
Collembola	Acute LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic NOEC (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
Non-target plants		-	-	-
		-	-	-
Honeybees (Apis spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	0.6	K3 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Apis mellifera	High
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Unknown mode acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic	-	-	-
	Notes	-
Bumblebees (Bombus spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
Mason bees (Osmia spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
Other bee species (1)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Other bee species (2)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Beneficial insects (Ladybirds)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Lacewings)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Parasitic wasps)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Predatory mites)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Ground beetles)		-	-	-

Aquatic ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.09	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Oncorhynchus mykiss	High
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.59	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Daphnia magna	Moderate
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		0.07	J3 J = Pesticide Action Network database (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Daphnia magna LOEC	Moderate
Tropical Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.0029	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data Ceriodaphnia dubia NOEC 7 day	High
Aquatic crustaceans - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.01	R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source Chironomus plumosus	High
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, static, water (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, sediment (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic plants - Acute 7 day EC₅₀, biomass (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute 72 hour EC₅₀, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
Marine bivalves – NOEC, mortality (mg l⁻¹)		102.4	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Crassostrea gigas	-

HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION

General

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)		High (class III)	-	-
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		460	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Rat	Moderate
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		200	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rabbit	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.56	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
Dermal penetration studies (%)		-	-	-
Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464		List II	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	Via inhalation and dermal absorption but exposure unlikely as substance obsolete Source: US EPA
	Occupational	May be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, by inhalation and through the intact skin
MRLs	European	EU MRL pesticide database
	Great Britain	GB MRL Register
	Notes	-
Drinking Water Standards		Non-statutory WHO drinking water guideline 0.0002 mg l⁻¹	B5 B = UK CRD and ACP Evaluation Documents / and other DEFRA (UK) documents; Also Chemicals Regulation Division, Health and Safety Executive (HSE), UK (click here ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes UK EA QS database 2018	-
Drinking Water MAC (μg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		Excreted through the urine and faeces	G3 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues		Carcinogen Genotoxic Endocrine disruptor ?Possibly, status not identified A3 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 3 = Negative ; 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 ✓Yes, known to cause a problem Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser ?Possibly, status not identified ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found Eye irritant Phototoxicant   ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found
General human health issues		May cause mental confusion and convulsions IARC Group 2B carcinogen; CLP data - suspected carcinogen; US EPA - probable human carcinogen Possible liver & kidney toxicant Endocrine issues - Competitive binding to androgen receptors

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Prevent generation of mists Flammable Corrosive to some metals IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1
CLP classification 2013	Health: H302, H312, H351 Environment: H400, H410
WHO Classification	II (Moderately hazardous)
UN Number	UN2996
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	chlordane
French	chlordane
German	Chlordan
Danish	chlordane
Italian	clordano
Spanish	clordano
Greek	chlordane
Polish	chlordan
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	chloordaan
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	13/11/2024
Contact:	aeru@herts.ac.uk
Please cite as:	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