11TH FORUM OF THE INTERNATIONAL HCH AND PESTICIDE ASSOCIATION HCH contamination from former pesticide production in Brazil—a challenge for the Stockholm Convention implementation J. P. M. Torres & C. I. R. Fróes-Asmus & R. Weber & J. M. H. Vijgen Received: 29 March 2012 / Accepted: 10 July 2012 / Published online: 24 July 2012 # Springer-Verlag 2012 Abstract Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (α-, β- and γ- HCH [lindane]) were recently added to the list of persistent organic pollutants regulated by the Stockholm Con- vention, and therefore, the legacy of HCH and lindane pro- duction has become an issue of global relevance. The production of lindane with the much larger quantities of associated waste isomers has generated large waste deposits and contaminated sites. This article presents an overview of HCH-polluted sites in Brazil as a basis for further activities related to the Stockholm Convention. The locations of HCH stockpiles and contaminated sites in Brazil arising from pro- duction and formulation have been compiled and mapped. This shows that the measures taken over the past 25 years have not resulted in remediation of the HCH pollution. An exposure risk study has been summarised for one major site and is included to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of the contamination. Major site remediation efforts are planned at one site but people live close to several other sites, and there is an urgent need of further assessments and remediation to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. The Stockholm Convention requires a systematic approach and should be adopted for the assessment of all sites and appropriate isolation/remediation measures should be facili- tated. The appropriate planning of these activities for the production site in Rio de Janeiro could be a positive contri- bution for Rio+20 highlighting that green economy and sus- tainable production also include the appropriate management of legacies of historic production of an industrial sector (here the organochlorine industry). Keywords HCH . Brazil . Contaminated site . Stockholm Convention . Remediation . Rio+20 . Sustainable production Introduction On 10 May 2009 at the fourth meeting of the Conference of Parties of the Stockholm Convention, three hexachlorocy- clohexane (HCH) isomers—α-HCH, β-HCH and lindane (industrial γ-HCH)—were listed as persistent organic pol- lutants (POPs) (Stockholm Convention 2009). These new POPs including the stockpiles and wastes remaining as a legacy from their historic use and production will now be regulated worldwide (Vijgen 2006a, b; Vijgen et al. 2011). The use of lindane and technical HCH over the past 60 years has resulted in environmental contamination of global dimen- sions (Li 1999; Li et al. 2003; Vijgen 2006a, b; Vijgen et al. 2011). The production of lindane was, and still is, highly inefficient. Each tonne generated between 8 and 12 tonnes of other HCH waste isomers (α, 55–80 %; β,5–14 %; δ,2–16 %; and ε,3–5 %) as waste (Bodenstein 1972). It was common practice to separate the active gamma isomer and to dump the Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues This article also belongs to the series ‘Dioxin and POPs contaminated sites’ edited by Roland Weber, Mats Tysklind and Caroline Gaus (Weber et al. 2008). J. P. M. Torres (*) Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil e-mail: jptorres@biof.ufrj.br C. I. R. Fróes-Asmus Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil R. Weber POPs Environmental Consulting, Göppingen, Germany J. M. H. Vijgen International HCH and Pesticides Association, Holte, Denmark Environ Sci Pollut Res (2013) 20:1951–1957 DOI 10.1007/s11356-012-1089-4