A chemical compound made of a benzene ring with two chlorine atoms attached, used in pesticides, deodorants, and industrial processes.
From di- (two) + chloro- (chlorine) + benzene (a basic aromatic hydrocarbon from benzoin, an aromatic resin). Benzene was named after the gum benzoin from which it was first isolated.
Dichlorobenzene has been used in mothballs for over a century, but it's also a persistent pollutant that bioaccumulates in animals—it's a perfect example of how practical solutions from the past sometimes create environmental problems we're still dealing with today.
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