Chlordane

Chlordane, or chlordan, is an organochlorine compound used as a pesticide. This white solid was sold in the U.S. until 1988 as an insecticide for treating approximately 30 million homes for termites for crops like corn and citrus, and on lawns and domestic gardens. Technical grade chlordane is a complex mixture of over 120 structurally related chemical compounds.

Production, composition and uses

Chlordane is one so-called cyclodiene pesticide, meaning that it is derived from hexachlorocyclopentadiene.

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene forms an adduct with cyclopentadiene, and chlorination of this adduct gives predominantly two isomers, α and β, in addition to other products such as trans-nonachlor and heptachlor. The β-isomer is popularly known as gamma and is more bioactive. The mixture that is composed of 147 components is called technical chlordane.

cis-chlordane (also known as α-chlordane (CAS=5103-71-9))

cis-chlordane (also known as α-chlordane (CAS=5103-71-9))

trans-chlordane (also known as γ-chlordane and beta-chlordane (CAS=5103-74-2))