chlordecone

American  

[klawr-di-kohn, klohr-] / ˈklɔr dɪˌkoʊn, ˈkloʊr- /

noun

1. a highly toxic pesticide, C 10 H 10 O, causing nerve damage in humans, that is believed to contaminate waterways: no longer widely used.

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Etymology

Origin of chlordecone

First recorded in 1970–75; chlor- ² + dec- + (ket)one

Example Sentences

Other French research links chlordecone exposure to preterm births.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2023

But they also asserted that even in the 1990s, scientists had not established links between chlordecone and illnesses in people.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2023

Among a variety of ailments, chlordecone is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, and these islanders suffer prostate cancer at among the highest rates in the world, French cancer researchers say.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2023

Meanwhile, officials continue testing the islanders for free to detect possible traces of chlordecone in their blood.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2023

The French government estimates that more than 90% of adults were exposed to chlordecone on both islands, whose combined populations total some 750,000 inhabitants.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2023