What Is Pentachlorophenol?
Pentachlorophenol, also known as pentachlorol or PCP, is an organochlorine compound.
In the past, it was used as a herbicide for paddy fields, a fungicide for rice blast, and an antiseptic. However, it became a designated pesticide in 1963 and a water pollutant pesticide in 1971, and its partial use was banned. Later, it became problematic because it contained hexachlorodibenzodioxin as a byproduct of pesticide formulations, and its pesticide registration was revoked in 1990. It is also a suspected environmental hormone.
Uses of Pentachlorophenol
Pentachlorophenol was used and registered in the past as a pesticide, fungicide, wood protectant, plant growth regulator, and herbicide for paddy fields, but this has since expired.
In addition, because of its suspected carcinogenicity, strong fish toxicity, and environmental hormone-like substances, it was decided at the 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the Stockholm Convention in Geneva, Switzerland, that pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters would be newly added to Annex A (eliminated) of the Convention The decision was made at the COP7 meeting.