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A highly complex mixture of several hundred polychlorinated compounds obtained by chlorination of camphene to an overall chlorine content of 67-69% by weight and having an overall empirical formula of C10H10Cl8 (including optical isomers, it could theoretically contain over 32,000 congeners). Toxaphene was used from the mid-1940s as an agricultural insecticide (mostly in the USA, particularly on corn and soybeans). Use increased with the phasing out of DDT in the 1970s (it became the most heavily manufactured pesticide in the US) but it is now banned due to concerns about toxicity and carcinogenicity. Total production since its first use is estimated at around 500,000 tons. In the environment, most of the components of toxaphene get metabolised, but from 10 to >100 resist biodegradation, depending on the medium and the specialisation of the enzyme system. Breathing, drinking or eating high levels of toxaphene can damage the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system.
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