Give one former use and one environmental hazard of carbon tetrachloride ($ ext{CCl}_4$) that led to its being phased out.

Question

Give one former use and one environmental hazard of carbon tetrachloride ($	ext{CCl}_4$) that led to its being phased out.

Accepted Answer

Carbon tetrachloride's non-flammability and solvent power once made it popular as a dry-cleaning and degreasing solvent, and specifically as a fire-extinguishing fluid (sold as 'pyrene') because it would not itself burn. These uses were phased out once its serious hazards became clear: it is toxic to the liver and kidneys (hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic) even at moderate exposure, it can release toxic phosgene gas when it contacts flame or moisture (undermining its fire-extinguisher role in enclosed spaces), and, being chemically inert enough to persist unreacted into the stratosphere, it is itself a recogni …

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Same / Similar Concept — real previous-year questions on the same or a closely similar concept, not this exact question.

CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQ
$Q. Which of the following compounds is known as DDT?$
(a) A benzene ring bearing two Cl substituents (one ortho, one shown below the ring) attached directly to -CH2-CCl3
(b) Two benzene rings, each bearing one Cl substituent, both attached to a central -CH- which is also bonded to -CCl3 (i.e. Cl-C6H4-CH(-C6H4-Cl)-CCl3, with the two Cl atoms drawn in an ortho-like arrangement)
(c) Two benzene rings, each bearing one Cl substituent, both attached to a central -CH- which is bonded to -CHCl2 (i.e. Cl-C6H4-CH(-C6H4-Cl)-CHCl2)
(d) Two benzene rings, each bearing one Cl substituent (para position), both attached to a central -CH- which is bonded to -CCl3 (i.e. Cl-C6H4-CH(-C6H4-Cl)-CCl3) — the standard DDT structure
›Reveal solutionSolution

DDT = 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane — two p-chlorophenyl rings on a CH carbon, with a $-CCl_3$ group.

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is a well-known chlorinated organic insecticide discussed under the environmental effects of haloarenes because of its persistence and bioaccumulation (it is non-biodegradable and builds up in fatty tissue up the food chain). Structurally it consists of two chlorobenzene rings (each chlorine substituted at the para position relative to the point of attachment), both attached to a single central CH carbon, which is in turn bonded to a trichloromethyl ( $-CCl_3$ ) group: $Cl$ - $C_6H_4$ - $CH$ ( $-C_6H_4$ - $Cl$ )- …

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CBSE 2016Set ANNUAL1 markMCQ
$Q. Which of the following is an example of freon?$
(a) BrCH2CH2Cl
(b) CCl2F2
(c) CCl2Br2
(d) ICH2CH2F
›Reveal solutionSolution

Freons are chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds; among the given options, only CCl₂F₂ (Freon-12) fits that class.

"Freon" is the trade name for a family of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds — simple haloalkanes containing both chlorine and fluorine attached to carbon, historically used as refrigerants and aerosol propellants.

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Q.Give one former use and one environmental hazard of carbon tetrachloride ( $\text{CCl}_4$ ) that led to its being phased out.

Concept understanding — Environmental Effects of Halogenated Compounds

Q.Give one former use and one environmental hazard of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4\text{CCl}_4CCl4​) that led to its being phased out.

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Q.Give one former use and one environmental hazard of carbon tetrachloride ( $\text{CCl}_4$ ) that led to its being phased out.

Unlock everything free for 14 days