TOXAPHENE

a dense, yellowish, semisolid mixture of organic compounds made by chlorination of camphene (a hydrocarbon obtained from turpentine) and used as an insecticide. Toxaphene, which contains 6769 percent chlorine, is insoluble in water but highly soluble in several organic solvents; under the influence of light, heat, or strong alkalies, it decomposes, forming hydrogen chloride and losing its toxicity to insects. Strobane, a straw-coloured liquid made by the reaction of chlorine with a mixture of camphene and pinene, is an insecticide similar to toxaphene. Both are toxic to a wide variety of insects and are used in combating pests that attack cotton and other field crops.