Pentachlorophenol (C₆HCl₅O) is a synthetic fungicide which is an organochloride. It is toxic to humans. Image File history File links Pentachlorophenol-structure. ... IUPAC nomenclature is a system of naming chemical compounds and of describing the science of chemistry in general. ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... The molecular mass (abbreviated MM) of a substance, formerly also called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW, is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. ... In physics, density is mass m per unit volume V. For the common case of a homogeneous substance, it is expressed as: where, in SI units: ρ (rho) is the density of the substance, measured in kg·m-3 m is the mass of the substance, measured in kg V is... The melting point of a crystalline solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which it can change its state from a liquid to a gas throughout the bulk of the liquid at a given pressure. ... The simplified molecular input line entry specification or SMILES is a specification for unambiguously describing the structure of chemical molecules using short ASCII strings. ... A Fungicide is one of three main methods of pest control- chemical control of fungi in this case. ... An organochloride is an organic compound containing at least one covalently bonded chlorine atom. ... The venom of the black widow spider is a potent latrotoxin. ...

Pentachlorophenol has historically been used as a pesticide and wood preservative. A cropduster spreading pesticide. ... Lumber is the name used, generally in North America, for wood that has been cut into boards or other shapes for the purpose of woodworking or construction. ...

In 1984 (or 1987 — references vary), the purchase and use of pentachlorophenol was restricted in the United States, and the general public may no longer buy it. It still has some industrial use as a wood preservative for utility poles, railroad ties, and wharf pilings. Ferroconcrete sleepers A variant fastening of rails to wooden sleepers A railroad tie, cross tie, or sleeper is a rectangular object used as a base for railroad tracks. ... Look up Pile in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Exposures to pentachlorophenol measured in minute quantities has been shown to affect the endocrine system of vertebrate life forms and may lead to immune system disfunction, and disruption of normal sexual, cognitive, physical and emotional development. It has also been linked to trans-generational cancer through disruption of foetal development. A scanning electron microscope image of a single neutrophil (yellow), engulfing anthrax bacteria (orange). ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

Its main action on the cell is to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation and therefore deplete levels of cellular ATP.

References

External links

• EPA on Pentachlorophenol
• atsdr.cdc.gov/ on Pentachlorophenol
• More on Pentachlorophenol
• Links to external chemical sources