Chlordecone is an insecticide that was patented in 1952 by the now-defunct Allied Chemical Company. Millions of pounds were sold under the trade name Kepone, but it soon became clear that it is highly toxic to humans and wildlife.
Dumping chlordecone into the James River in Virginia caused 100 miles of the river to be closed to fishing for 13 years. Serious soil contamination by chlordecone occurred in the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. In 2009, the Stockholm Convention banned its production and use worldwide.
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