Environmental Emissions and their Sources of Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)

Shin-ichi Sakai*, Yasuhiro Hirai** and Hiroshi Takatsuki**
* National Institute for Environmental Studies, Research Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management
** Environment Preservation Center, Kyoto University
+ Correspondence should be addressed to Shin-ichi Sakai:
(16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan)

Abstract
Environmental emissions and their sources of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) have been reviewed and discussed. HCB is one of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) specified by the Stockholm Convention on POPs in 2001. Strong persistence in environment and high environmental mobility are special features of HCB. Main sources of HCB are as follows: (1) Industrial and agricultural chemical products, (2) Impurities in pesticides, (3) Reaction by-product in the manufacture of chlorinated solvents, (4) Incineration by-products, (5) By-products in metal industries and (6) Others. Recent global emissions were estimated to be 10-100 tons annually. Moreover, a historical estimate for Japan was also shown in this paper.

Key words: hexachlorobenzene, HCB, persistent organic pollutants, POPs, emission sources, inventory