Chlorohydrocarbons

CHC, Organochlorides, organochlorines, chlorocarbons

Group of organic compounds with at least one covalently bonded chlorine atom

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are often not readily degradable. Due to their persistence and lipophilicity they tend to enrich in organisms and in the food web (bioaccumulation and biomagnification).

Because of these properties many chlorinated hydrocarbons are members of the so called “Dirty Dozen“, a group of 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which have been banned or their uses restricted by the Stockholm Convention in 2004.

Sub-groups

  • Organochloro hydrocarbons with insecticidal properties
  • Persistent and toxic chlorinated compounds
  • Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuranes (PCDDs/PCDFs, also PCDD/Fs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which are in short named "dioxins" or "dioxin" in the strict sense of this term.
  • WHO(2005)-PCDD/F+PCB-TEQ excl. LOQ
    Sum of dioxins (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs), expressed as WHO toxic equivalent (TEQ) using the WHO-TEFs(2005), calculation by using lowerbound concentrations: lowerbound concentrations are calculated on the assumption that all the values of the different congeners below the limit of quantification (LOQ) are zero.
  • WHO(2005)-PCDD/F+PCB-TEQ incl. LOQ
    Sum of dioxins (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs), expressed as WHO toxic equivalent using the WHO-TEFs(2005), calculation by using upperbound concentrations: upperbound concentrations are calculated on the assumption that all the values of the different congeners below the limit of quantification (LOQ) are equal to the limit of quantification.

Specimen

Sampling area

Sampling period

1982 - 2023

Extended information

Links to external information and legislation