Hexachlorobenzene

CAS ID#: 118-74-1

Affected Organ Systems: Cancer, Developmental (effects during periods when organs are developing) , Hepatic (Liver), Neurological (Nervous System), Reproductive (Producing Children)

Cancer Classification:  Please contact NTP, IARC, or EPA with questions on cancer and cancer classification.

Chemical Classification: Pesticides (chemicals used for killing pests, such as rodents, insects, or plants)

Summary: Hexachlorobenzene was widely used as a pesticide to protect the seeds of onions and sorghum, wheat, and other grains against fungus until 1965. It was also used to make fireworks, ammunition, and synthetic rubber. Currently, there are no commercial uses of hexachlorobenzene in the United States. Hexachlorobenzene is a white crystalline solid that is not very soluble in water. It does not occur naturally in the environment. It is formed as a by-product while making other chemicals, in the waste streams of chloralkali and wood-preserving plants, and when burning municipal waste.

Community Members
Community Members

ToxFAQs - Fact sheet that answers the most frequently asked questions about a contaminant and its health effects.

Public Health Statement - Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.

National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals - Provides an ongoing assessment of the exposure of the U.S. population to environmental chemicals using biomonitoring.

Toxicological and Health Professionals
Toxicological and Health Professionals

Toxicological Profile - Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for a hazardous substance.

ToxGuidepdf icon[113 KB] - Quick reference guide providing information such as chemical and physical properties, sources of exposure, routes of exposure, minimal risk levels, children's health, and health effects for a substance.

Priority List of Hazardous Substances - Prioritization of substances based on a combination of their frequency, toxicity, and potential for human exposure at National Priorities List (NPL) sites.

Minimal Risk Levels (MRL) - The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.

Interaction Profiles - Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for mixtures of hazardous substances.

Page last reviewed: February 10, 2021
Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry