A limited three-generation reproduction study on hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) in rats

Dietary feeding of technical hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) at 125 and 250 ppm to rats have not shown any adverse effects on reproductive function and were comparable to control animals in a three-generation study. There were no major malformations, while some minor variants found were not compound or dose related. Despite some mild toxicological effects in rats of the P(0) generation, the litters of F(1B), F(2B) and F(3B) generations were devoid of any morphological or teratological changes. The presence of HCH residues in vital tissues of F(3B) pups have indicated transmigration of HCH in preceding generations but not to an extent that produced adverse effects.