Global gridded emission inventories of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane

Abstract

As the contamination of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH) in the Arctic air, seawater, and biota is an environmental concern, there is a need for emission inventories of beta-HCH to be used by the modeling community to predict the fate and transport of beta-HCH. This paper presents such emission inventories for beta-HCH. The total global usage of beta-HCH between 1945 and 2000 is estimated at 850 kt, 230 kt of which was emitted to the atmosphere over the same time period. Usage of beta-HCH was estimated to be around 36 kt in 1980 and 7.4 kt in 1990. Total beta-HCH emissions in 1980 were 9.8 kt with 83% attributed to the application in 1980 and 17% to soil residues due to prior applications. Total beta-HCH emissions in 1990 were 2.4 kt with 78% attributed to the application in 1990 and 22% to soil residues. While it assumed that no usage of technical HCH occurred in 2000, the global beta-HCH emissions in this year due to soil residues were estimated at 66 t. It has shown that the global beta-HCH emissions have undergone a "southward tilt" over the time period studied as more northern countries have banned the use of technical HCH.