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Toxaphene is the tradename for an organochlorine pesticide. The pesticide is comprised of a mixture of at least hundreds of 670 chlorinated organic compounds. Toxaphene was introduced in 1947 and was probably the most heavily used pesticide in the United States during the 1970s after DDT was banned. In the United States, toxaphene was banned for most uses in 1982 and all uses were banned in 1990. However, due to its relatively long half-life, toxaphene persists in the environment. The soil half-life is approximately 1 to 14 years. Toxaphene can enter waterbodies from soil runoff and can also volatilize and be transported to waterbodies via the atmosphere. Toxaphene absorbed by organisms accumulates in fatty tissues and has been shown to affect the central nervous system and the liver. EPA has classified toxaphene as a probable human carcinogen (Group B2). As of 1998, four states have issued a total of six fish advisories for toxaphene. These advisories inform the public that high concentrations of toxaphene have been found in local fish at levels of public health concern. State advisories recommend either limiting or avoiding consumption of certain fish from specific waterbodies or, in some cases, from specific waterbody types (e.g., all freshwater lakes or rivers). Get more details from the EPA source.

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