| Kepone | |
|---|---|
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| IUPAC name |
1,1a,3,3a,4,5,5,5a,5b,6-Decachlorooctahydro-2H-1,3,4-(methanetriyl)cyclobuta[
cd]pentalen-2-one
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| Other names | Chlordecone Clordecone Merex |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 143-50-0  |
| PubChem | 299 |
| SMILES |
C1(=O)C2(C3(C4(C1(C5(C2(C3(C(C45Cl)(Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl
|
| ChemSpider ID | 293 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C10Cl10O |
| Molar mass | 490.64 g mol−1 |
| Density | 1.6 g/cm3 |
 (what is this?) (verify)Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
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| Infobox references | |
Kepone, also known as chlordecone, is a carcinogenic[1] insecticide related to mirex, used between 1966 and 1975 in the USA for ant and roach baits.
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Chemically, kepone is a chlorinated polycyclic ketone insecticide and fungicide with the chemical formula C10Cl10O. The dry powder is readily absorbed through the skin and respiratory tract. Some unprotected production workers exposed to kepone powder suffered tremors, jerky eye movements, memory loss, headaches, slurred speech, unsteadiness, lack of coordination, loss of weight, rash, enlarged liver, decreased libido, sterility, chest pain, arthralgia, and the increased risk of developing cancer. Kepone persists in the environment, with a half-life of about 30 years.
Kepone was produced by Allied Signal Company in Hopewell, Virginia and caused a nationwide pollution controversy due to improper handling and dumping of the substance into the nearby James River.[2] In the United States, its use was banned in 1975. In 2009 was included in the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants, which bans its production and use worldwide.[3]
In July 2003, a Richmond Magazine article chronicled the ill health effects on Allied Signal employees and described how Dan Rather and CBS's 60 Minutes brought nationwide attention to the problem.[4]
Due to the pollution scare, many businesses and restaurants along the river suffered, and then-Governor Mills Godwin Jr. shut down the James River to fishing from Richmond to the Chesapeake Bay.
The French island of Martinique is heavily contaminated with kepone,[5] following years of unrestricted (including spray planes) use on banana plantations. Despite a 1990 ban of the substance by France, the island was, after intensive lobbying by the economically powerful Béké community, allowed to continue using kepone until 1993, under the since disputed argument that no alternative pesticide was available. Similarly, the nearby island of Guadeloupe is also contaminated, but to a lesser extent.
Kepone was the name of an American indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1991, the band's name is derived from the kepone crisis that occurred in the Richmond area in the 1970s. It was originally formed as a sideproject of Michael Bishop, ex-bassist of GWAR.
The Dead Kennedys recorded a song named "Kepone Factory", deliberately referring to the chemical compound kepone, for their 1981 album In God We Trust, Inc.. The song was written in 1978 and was performed live despite not appearing on any recording until 1981.
   | Terradaily: Pesticide blamed for 'health disaster' in French Caribbean - Pesticide blamed for 'health disaster' in French Caribbean |
| | EPA releases a Toxicological Review of Kepone (External Review Draft) for public comment - 01/2008 - IRIS Toxicological Review of Chlordecone (Kepone) (External Review Draft) | National Center for Environmental Assessment | US EPA |
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