Introduction
Effects on Humans
Effects on the Aquatic Environment
Monitoring Techniques and Standards
Safety Cards
Links

Introduction

*IARC: International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Heptachlor is a termiticide and an insecticide used on seed grain and crops. It has also been used extensively for fire ant control, and is present as an impurity in the pesticide chlordane. Heptachlor is metabolised in animas to heptachlor epoxide. The use of heptachlor has been banned in Cyprus, Ecuador, the European Union, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. Its use is severely restricted in Argentina, Israel, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, the U.S., and some countries of the former Soviet Union. In recent years, however, heptachlor ( and the closely related chlordane) has been used for major road building projects in Africa. For protection of residential structures in North-eastern Australia and Asia, and for crop protection in South America. The world's last producer of heptachlor, the U.S.-based Velsicol chemical Corporation, announced in 1997 that it would permanently cease production.

Human exposure to heptachlor is mainly through ingestion of food with residues of the compound and through inhalation in homes sprayed with heptachlor as an insecticide. In a 1996 study of breast-fed infants in Australia, 100 percent of the infants sampled were found to exceed the WHO ADI for heptachlor (0.0001 mg/kg bw). (WFPHA, World Federation of Public Health Associations, 2000).

Effects on Humans

Heptachlor is highly toxic to humans, and causes hyperexcitiation of the central nervous system and liver damage. Retrospective studies on people employed and heptachlor sprayers have shown significant increases in death from cerebrovascular disease. Heptachlor had been found to have significant effects on progesterone and oestrogen levels in laboratory rats. Other animal studies show nervous system disruption and liver damage.(WFPHA, 2000).

Effects on the Aquatic Environment

Heptachlor is subject to long-range transport as indicated by its presence in precipitation samples from Lake Erie. It has been found in mosquito fish, soft clam, oyster, and fathead minnow. (WFPHA, 2000).

Monitoring Techniques and Standards

The HSDB, Hazardous Substances Data Bank: type Heptachlor

This site reports a full list of information on the substance as: Human Health Effects, Animal Toxicity Studies, Environmental Fate & Exposure, Environmental Standards & Regulations, Chemical/Physical Properties, Chemical Safety & Handling, Occupational Exposure Standards, Laboratory Methods, Synonyms and Identifiers.

Toxicology report with toxicity data from the Vermont Safety Information Resources, Inc.

This site provides a list or toxicity tests results, references for toxicity literature reviews, USA standards and regulations, occupational exposure limits in different states all over the world, and reference to NIHOSH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, analytical standard methods.

Safety Cards

ICSC, International Chemical Safety Cards European Union version

The International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS) access to
International Chemical Safety Cards: two pages data sheets on pure substances from the ILO/WHO/UNEP International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS).

ICSC, International Chemical Safety Cards U.S. National version

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) access to
International Chemical Safety Cards.

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