Governments in around the world have banned some dangerous chemicals because the danger it poses to our health and also to the environment. Those banned chemicals are dangerous, so knowing them is extremely important because it can help us decide which kind of product we can use or consume. We suggest you to choose a product that doesn’t contain the chemicals below.
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Here is the list of banned chemicals according to the European Union.
1. Mercuric Oxide
Mercuric oxide, also written as mercury(II) oxide or mercury oxide is a chemical component which has a red or orange color. It has a chemical formula of HgO. Mercuric oxide can either be solid or liquid. It is odorless and has 216.59 g/mol molar mass. Mercuric oxide is very toxic to human or the environment. It is an irritant to our eyes, skin, and also our kidney which can result in a kidney impairment.
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2. Mercurous Chloride
Mercurous oxide is a chemical compound also known as dimercury dichloride, and calomel, with a chemical formula Hg2Cl2. It has a white or somewhat yellowish-white odorless solid is a famous component in electrochemistry as reference electrodes.
In the late 1700s till 1860 people use mercurous oxide as diuretic or laxative. In Britain people also use it as an ingredient in teething powder until 1954s which cause a mercury poisoning that kills one people out of 10. Since then, it has been banned because of its toxicity to human.
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3. Alkyl mercury compounds
Alkyl mercury compounds is a chemical formula which has the formula of Hg. It is widely used as preservatives in textiles, leather, paper or pulp, and also as a fungicide. However, it is later discovered that alkyl mercury compounds can cause mercury poisoning to human. It can cause ataxia, tremor, vision and hearing loss, intellectual deterioration and much more. Because of this reason, alkyl mercury compounds are banned.
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4. Alkoxyalkyl and aryl mercury compounds
Alkoxyalkyl and aryl mercury compounds are a chemical compound which belongs to the family of organic mercury compounds. It is widely used as antiseptics, diuretics, contraceptives, pesticides, preservatives, and others. Later, it is found that alkoxalkyl and aryl mercury compounds are quite toxic and dangerous to human.
It can cause mercury poisoning, in which a mercury is accumulated in the central nervous system, causing neural damage in our sensory cortex. It can also cause lung damage, and long exposure may cause renal damage for us.
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5. Aldrin
Aldrin is a colorless solid historically people used as organochlorine insecticide before 1970. It has a chemical formula of C12H8Cl6. It has 364.90 g/mol molar mass and 104 degrees Celcius melting point. It is soluble in water, but only up to 0.0003%. Scientist ban Aldrin because it is a potential carcinogen which can cause cancer for the human. For the environment, because it has a very low solubility, it persistence can’t be removed easily.
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6. Chlordane
Chlordane or chlordan is a group of chemical compounds (chlordane itself, heptachlor, and nonachlor). Chlordan, as a specific chemical, was discovered by Julies Hyman in 1940 when he was looking for a possible use of a by-product from synthetic rubber manufacturing. It has a chemical formula of C10H6Cl8. This colorless and viscous liquid is slightly pungent with a molar mass of 409.76 g/mol. Scientist ban chlordane because it is a potential carcinogen, which can cause cognitive decline, obesity, testicular cancer, and others.
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7. Dieldrin
The next list of banned chemicals is Dieldrin, an organochloride created by J. Hyman & Co, Denver, in 1948 originally aimed to be an insecticide. It is created by Diels-Alder reaction. Dieldrin has a chemical formula of C12H8Cl6O, with 380.91 g/mol molar mass and 177 degrees Celcius melting point.
It is either colorless or light tan crystal. Exposure to dieldrin has been linked to many health problems. Including but not limited to breast cancer, reproductive system damage, nervous system damage, and also acting as an endocrine disruptor. That is why government across the world ban dieldrin.
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8. DDT
DDT is an acronym of Dichlorodiphenyltricholoethane. It is a tasteless, colorless, nearly odorless, organochlorine historically synthesized in 1874 to control malaria and typhus among the people. After that, we used it as an agricultural insecticide.
By 1939, Paul Hermann Muller from Swiss, a chemist, found that DDT is very harmful to the environment cause it can bring damage to soil properties and others related environment system that is important to sustain a plant life. To a human, it is also dangerous because it can act as an endocrine disruptor and possibly carcinogenic.
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9. Endrin
Endrin is a chemical formula produced in 1950 by Shell and Velsicol Chemical Corporation with purpose as an insecticide, rodenticide, and also piscicide. It has a chemical formula of C12H8Cl6O. This solid odorless colorless chemical compound has 380.907 g/mol molar mass with 200 degrees Celcius melting point. Because it can cause poisoning to our central nervous system, government around the world ban it. An example of the endrin poisoning includes nausea, vomiting, seizures, or even death.
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10. HCH
HCH is an acronym for hexachlorocyclohexane. Its chemical formula is C6H6Cl6. HCH also goes by another name, which is benzene hexachloride. HCH is very toxic toward the human. Exposure to HCH can cause headaches, dizziness, blood disorder. If you swallowed it might cause your seizures, or even worse, death itself.
11. Heptachlor
Heptachlor is a chemical that was used as an insecticide. It is very stable, that makes heptachlor can persist in our environment for decades, making it harder to remove it. It has a chemical formula of C10H5Cl7 with a molar mass of 373.32 g/mol. With only 0.0006% solubility in water, this chemical is quite hard to be cleaned. Scientist ban heptachlor because it is acting as a potential carcinogen in human. It can change our nervous and immune system.
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12. Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachlorobenzene or HCB is a chemical that people formerly used as a fungicide. It has a chemical formula of C6Cl6 with 284.80 g/mol molar mass and 2.04 g/cm3 density. This white crystalline solid is nearly not soluble in water, with only a very small solubility (0.00000002 M) in water.
However, its solubility in others solvent is a quite variant. Under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, government ban hexachlorobenzene because of it a carcinogen to animal and also human. Exposure to hexachlorobenzene via oral in a chronic dosage has been shown to give rise to ulceration, loss of hair, liver disease, and others. In addition to that, HCB is very toxic to the aquatic environment.
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13. Camphechlor
Camphechlor, or commonly known as toxaphene, is an insecticide primarily used in the southern United States during the 1970s. This chemical is actually a mixture of a lot of other chemicals and produced by reacting them with chlorine gas and camphene. US ban this yellow to amber waxy solid since 1990 and in 2001, more countries also ban it under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The cause of this banning is because Toxaphene is quite toxic to human, and also the environment.
In human, Toxaphene can cause lung damage, nervous system damage, kidney damage, and also death. While in the environment, Toxaphene can persist for more than 14 years. As one of the harmful list of banned chemicals.
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14. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
PCB or polychlorinated biphenyls is a chemical compound belongs to the family of organic chlorine which has a chemical formula of C12H10-xClx. PCBs were once widely used as coolant fluids and dielectric in many apparatus, such as heat transfer fluids, or carbonless copy paper. These yellow viscous liquids have low solubility in water but highly soluble in organic solvents such as oils. EU countries ban PCBs because it is toxic to human. We can get many health effects from PCBs, such as chloracne or rashes, liver damage, poor cognitive development in children, and others.
15. Polychlorinated Terphenyls (PCT)
PCT is a derivative group of chlorine from terphenyls. These chemicals have similar properties with PCB, but they are not soluble at all in water, unlike PCB. Historically, we used these chemicals as heat transfer agents, plasticizers, flame retardants, or lubricating oils. We ban them because of health concern that PCTs make, such as liver damage and so on.
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15. Tris(2,3-Dibromopropyl) Phosphate
Tris(2,3-Dibromopropyl) phosphate is a chemical once we use as a flame retardant in textiles or plastics. It has a chemical formula of C9H15Br6O4P. Tris is not soluble in water. It has 697.61 g/mol molar mass with 2.24 g/cm3. Governments ban this chemical under the Rotterdam Convention because of its toxicity toward a human.
16. Tris-Aziridinyl-Phosphioxide
Tris(1-aziridinyl)phospioxide, also known as tris(1-aziridinyl)phosphine oxide is a chemical used as pesticides. It has a chemical formula of C6H12N3OP. It was used as a sterilant of insect. This colorless solid chemical is no longer being used because of its toxicity as a human carcinogen. Long exposure can cause skin burn or eyes irritation, or even sensitization.
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17. Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB)
PBBs are a group of chemicals consisted of derivatives from a biphenyl core. PBBs is a colorless to off-white solid, which melt at 300 degrees Celcius and soften at 72 degrees Celcius. While PBBs are insoluble in water, they are very soluble in benzene and toluene. Once, companies used PBBs as flame retardants for plastics in products such as textiles, laptop cabinets, and etc. EU countries ban PBBs because exposure to PBBs can cause immunotoxicity, central nervous system problem, or even neonatal fatalities.
18. Crocidolite
Crocidolite, also known as blue asbestos, is a form of asbestos commonly factories used to insulate steam engine or pipe insulation. Other applications include cement production or spray-on coatings. EU countries ban crocidolite because it can cause a lot of life threatening lung and abdominal conditions. That happens because crocidolite fiber is so thin, that makes it easily inhaled and become lodged in our lungs.
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19. Nitrofen
Nitrofen, also known as 2,3-Dichloro-1-(4-nitrphenoxy)benzene is a chemical EU and US ban since 1996 because of concerns about its carcinogenicity. It has a chemical formula of C12H7Cl2NO3. Its molar mass is around 284.g/mol with 1.80 g/cm3 density. This colorless crystalline solid is a potential cancer agent that can cause cancer if exposed to a human in long term exposure.
20. 1,2-Dibromoethane
Ethylene dibromide or 1,2-Dibromoethane is a chemical compound that is widely used as a fumigant. This colorless liquid has a sweet odor. Its chemical formula is C2H4Br2. It has 187.86 g/mol molar mass, and 2.18 g/mL density. We also used this chemical compound as a pesticide on various crops. Ethylene dibromide potentially carcinogenic. In addition to that, it can harm brain of living being such as rats.
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21. 1,2-Dichloroethane
Ethylene dichloride (EDC), also known as 1,2-Dichloroethane is a chemical compound that is toxic and carcinogenic to human. This chemical compound has a chemical formula of C2H4Cl2. It appears as a colorless liquid, which has a chloroform-like odor and 98.95 g/mol molar mass. This chemical formula is banned because of the possibility of causing cancer to human.
22. Amosite
Amosite is a chemical compound belonging to an asbestos group which is also known as brown asbestos. Factories used this mineral frequently in cement sheet or pipe insulation in ceiling tiles, or other products. Amosite has a high possibility to cause lung cancer, asbestosis, or mesothelioma in human.
23. Anthophyllite Asbestos
Anthophyllite asbestos is one of the asbestos that can cause mesothelioma. This chemical might have a lower risk compared to other asbestos of developing mesothelioma, however, the connection of mesothelioma and anthophyllite is clear-cut. Also, one of the toxin list of banned chemicals.
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24. Actinolite Asbestos
Actinolite asbestos is a harsh asbestos, which has a relatively low flexibility compared to the others asbestos. This chemical is not commercially used, however, we can found it in some asbestos products. It is one the rarest types of asbestos.
25. Tremolite Asbestos
We can find tremolite in talc powders and others. We can found tremolite as a contaminant in some insulation containing asbestos. Its color can be gray, transparent, white, or green. Tremolite can cause lung cancer and other respiratory conditions.
26. Cadmium and its compounds
Cadmium is a chemical element with a symbol of Cd. This silvery bluish-gray metallic solid chemical has a relatively high melting and boiling point, which is 321.07 degrees Celcius and 767 degrees Celcius. For a long time, we used cadmium as steel corrosion protector, to protect steel from corrosion. Many governments, especially in the EU, ban cadmium because it has a high degree of toxic toward a human. Inhalation of cadmium fumes can result in a lethal sickness, such as pulmonary edema and so on. That’s why the use of cadmium is gradually decreasing.
27. 2-Naphtylamine and its salts
2-Naphtylamine is a chemical formula which has a colorless solid form. It is one of the isomers from amino-naphthalenes, an aromatic amine factory uses to make azo dyes. The 2-naphtylamine chemical formula is C10H9N. It has 143.19 g/mol molar mass and 1.0601 g/cm3 density. Scientist bans this compound because of its carcinogenic properties. 2-Napthylamine can cause bladder cancer.
28. 4-Aminophenyl and its salts
The 4-aminophenyl chemical formula is C8H9NO2. It has 151.165 g/mol molar mass. This compound is banned because of its toxic properties toward a human.
29. Benzidine and its salts
Benzidine or 1,1’-biphenyl-4,4’-diamine is an aromatic amine like 2-Naphtylamine, that scientist generally used as a component for cyanide test. Its chemical formula is (C6H4NH2)2. Governments ban benzidine because it is hazardous to human, in which they can cause cancer such as pancreatic and bladder cancer.
30. 4-Nitrophenyl
4-Nitrophenyl is a chemical compound which has another derivative such as 4-Nitrophenyl sulfate, 4-nitrophenyl acetate, and so on. Its chemical formula varies from C6H5NO6S, C8H7NO4, and others. That chemical compound is quite dangerous toward human because it can cause eye damage, skin damage, lung damage, and others.
Those are 30 dangerous chemicals that you should avoid, the list of banned chemicals that is dangerous if we take this. Thank you for reading this!
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