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Hexachlorocyclohexane use in the former Soviet Union.
Y F Li1, A V Zhulidov, R D Robarts
1Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5T4, Canada. yi-fan.li@ec.gc.ca
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
|January 20, 2005
Summary
This study estimates organochlorine pesticide (OCP) usage in the former Soviet Union (FSU) from 1950-1990. Researchers quantified 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) usage, crucial for global OCP emission inventories.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Chemistry
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Background:
- Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are persistent organic pollutants with significant environmental impact.
- Accurate usage data for OCPs in the former Soviet Union (FSU) is vital for global emission inventories and understanding OCP transport.
- Limited information exists on OCP usage within the vast FSU region.
Observation:
- Analysis of available 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) data in the FSU was conducted.
- HCH usage estimates were compiled for the period 1950 to 1990, preceding its official ban in the FSU.
- Data on specific isomers (alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH) and technical HCH usage were analyzed.
Findings:
- Total agricultural HCH usage in the FSU (1950-1990) was estimated at 1,960 kt for technical HCH and 40 kt for lindane.
- Isomer usage estimates include 270 kt for gamma-HCH, 1,270 kt for alpha-HCH, and 170 kt for beta-HCH.
- HCH use peaked in 1965, with significant quantities of technical HCH, lindane, and its isomers applied.
Implications:
- The developed HCH usage inventories for the FSU are foundational for creating regional HCH emission inventories.
- This research contributes to a better understanding of historical OCP use and its environmental fate.
- Freely available gridded HCH usage data sets for 1980 facilitate further research on OCPs in the FSU and globally.