Atrazine (Molecule of the Month for December 1998)
pesticides
Surprisingly organochlorine pesticides are still extensively used as pesticides here in the UK, even though these have been banned US. These types of chemical have been in the news recently, since the European Union intend to ban several such as Lindane. However, the chemical industry intend to take the EU to the court to prevent such a ban.
The most commonly known example is DDT, which fortunately is no longer used, but chemicals which are equally nasty are used. Examples are Atrazine and Lindane.
Often these organochlorine chemicals have hormone related effects in the wildlife and humans. Several documented effects are oestrogen metabolism problems in women, oestrogenic like effects and anti-androgenic effects which alter male sexual function.
Formal Chemical Name (IUPAC)
click on the picture of Atrazine above to interact
with the 3D model of the
Atrazine structure
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Update by Karl Harrison
(Molecule of the Month for
December 1998
)
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