Food & Drink / Compounds / Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers)

Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers) in food: ingestion safety

High risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers) — persistent organic pollutant / heavy metal. See EDC classification.

What is hexachlorocyclohexane (hch, mixed isomers)?

Also known as: 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexachlorocyclohexane, Hexachlorocyclohexane, Hexachlorzyklohexan, Hexachloride, Benzene.

CAS number
608-73-1
Molecular formula
C6H6Cl6
Molecular weight
290.8 g/mol
SMILES
C1(C(C(C(C(C1Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl
PubChem CID
727

Risk for people

High risk

Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers) — persistent organic pollutant / heavy metal. See EDC classification.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EDC Assessment—Confirmed endocrine disruptor

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter hexachlorocyclohexane (hch, mixed isomers)

  • Occupational Environments — pesticide residue, contaminated soil
  • Food Chain — bioaccumulates in fatty food

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers):

  • N/A — exposure reduction
    Trade-offs: Exposure reduction does not eliminate the hazard but lowers risk to acceptable levels when alternatives are not available or practical. Requires ongoing monitoring and compliance.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain hexachlorocyclohexane (hch, mixed isomers)?

Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers) appears in: pesticide residue (Occupational environments); contaminated soil (Occupational environments); bioaccumulates in fatty food (Food chain).

See Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, mixed isomers) in the food app

Look up products containing hexachlorocyclohexane (hch, mixed isomers), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. PubChem (2026) — database

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →