[Contamination of the environment with hexachlorobenzene]

The causes of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) contamination of the environment are of complex nature. Besides the microbial metabolism of lindane to HCB, the pyrolysis of pentachlorophenol (wood impregnation), the chlorine treatment of lignin-containing lyes and possible contaminations with active agents which are industrially synthetized from polychlorbenzenes must be regarded as causes being in part still hypothetical.