Technical grade hexachlorocyclohexane is a manufactured chemical that typically consists of the alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, and gamma isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane. It is used as an insecticide on fruit, vegetables, and forest crops and is also available as a prescription (lotion, cream, or shampoo) to treat head and body lice, and scabies. (2)
belongs to the class of organic compounds known as cyclohexyl halides. These are organohalogen compounds containing a monocyclic cyclohexane moiety that is substituted at one or more positions by an halogen atom.
Hexachlorocyclohexane is a neurotoxin that interferes with GABA neurotransmitter function by interacting with the GABA-A receptor-chloride channel complex at the picrotoxin binding site, causing over stimulation of the central nervous system. It is also believed to inhibit sodium/potassium-transporting ATPases and to be an endocrine disruptor. In the liver, hexachlorocyclohexane is thought to cause oxidative stress by interfering with hepatic oxidative capacity and glutathione metabolism, increasing lipid metabolism, and inhibiting magnesium ATPase activity. Hexachlorocyclohexane may also inhibit gap junction and intercellular communication, leading to uncontrolled cell growth and tumor promotion. (2, 3, 1)
Metabolism
Hexachlorocyclohexane is absorbed through the skin, lungs, and intestines, then distributed mainly to the adipose tissue but also to the brain, kidney, muscle, and blood. Metabolism occurs via dechlorination, dehydrogenation, dehydrochlorination, and hydroxylation by hepatic cytochrome P-450 enzymes. The main metabolites are polychlorophenols and 1,2,4-trichlorocyclohexane-4,5-epoxide, which are excreted in the urine. (2)
Hexachlorocyclohexane is used as an insecticide on fruit, vegetables, and forest crops and is also available as a prescription (lotion, cream, or shampoo) to treat head and body lice, and scabies. (2)
Minimum Risk Level
Not Available
Health Effects
Exposure to large amounts of hexachlorocyclohexane can harm the nervous system, producing a range of symptoms from headache and dizziness to seizures, convulsions and more rarely death. Hexachlorocyclohexane is known to damage the liver, kidneys, and immune system, as well as cause blood disorders and reproductive and developmental defects. Hexachlorocyclohexane is also potentially carcinogenic. (2, 3)
Symptoms
Exposure to large amounts of hexachlorocyclohexane can harm the nervous system, producing a range of symptoms from headache and dizziness to seizures, convulsions and more rarely death. (3)
Treatment
Hexachlorocyclohexane poisoning is treated symptomatically. Gastric lavage, followed by the administration of activated charcoal, may be performed upon ingestion. (5)
