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Glite Dictionary
hexachlorocyclohexane

hexachlorocyclohexane

9.9
A man-made chemical that kills insects and stays in the environment
  • noun
  • /ˌhɛksəˌklɔːroʊˈsaɪkloʊˌhɛkseɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hexaclorociclohexano
  • Scientists found that exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane can lead to serious health issues in humans.
  • hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)

Examples

  • Data for dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane (the sum of a-, -, and ?-HCH), and mirex are presented in Table 3.

    Academic text (2000)

  • POPs of long-standing concern in the Arctic include the pesticides DDT and HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane), and the industrial chemicals PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

    Academic text (2003)

  • Farmers often used hexachlorocyclohexane as an effective insecticide before its environmental risks were known.

  • The government banned the use of hexachlorocyclohexane due to its long-lasting presence in the environment.

Synonyms

lindane
vshexachlorocyclohexane
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A white chemical that kills insects on crops and treats lice and scabies

is the systematic chemical name describing a cyclohexane ring with six chlorine atoms
organochlorine
vshexachlorocyclohexane
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A chemical made of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine used as a pesticide or in industry

is a specific compound within that chemical class rather than the general group

Surface Forms

hexachlorocyclohexane singular
hexachlorocyclohexanes plural

Morphology

hexachlorocyclohexane = cyclohexane (semi-transparent) = hexachloro + cyclohexane

The name denotes 'six chlorine substituents on a cyclohexane ring', which is clear to those familiar with chemical nomenclature but technical and likely opaque to general learners.

Etymology

The word hexachlorocyclohexane breaks into clear parts: hexa- 'six', chloro- 'chlorine', and cyclohexane 'a ring of six atoms', like a hexagon with six sides. So hexachlorocyclohexane means a chemical with six chlorine atoms on a six-atom ring, which explains why it was used as a pesticide and why it can stay in the environment for a long time.