Environmental contamination by HCH in the ‘Cidade dos Meninos’, state of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

A factory where hexachlorocyclohexane was manufactured, was closed down in 1955. Part of its production, that is, many tons of technical grade HCH, were left behind on a site called ‘Cidade dos Meninos’ located near the city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. This pesticide ended up swept by the rain, wind and taken by local people, more than 1000 individuals, including 400 children and adolescents who live in the LBA (Brazilian Assistance Corps)‐owned orphanage called ‘Cristo Redentor Asylum’. The product was used to kill cockroach, lice and to fight the mosquitos responsible for malaria disease. The highest concentrations, thousands of ppb of HCH isomers, were found in soil samples collected less than 100 m away from the former factory and in samples of the grass on which the local cattle feed. Vertical soil profiles were also analyzed. Blood specimens from 31 adults and approximately 25% of the children living in the asylum located 1.5 km from the ruin of the former factory also showed contamination by the α, γ, and particularly β, isomers.

Keywords:

• Hexachlorocyclohexane
• Brazil
• pesticide
• soil
• blood

Notes

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