An abbreviation for hexachlorobenzene, a toxic chemical compound that was historically used as a fungicide but is now banned in many countries due to environmental and health dangers.
Abbreviation formed from the chemical compound name: hex- (six) + chloro- (chlorine) + benzene (the six-membered carbon ring), representing chemical nomenclature convention.
HCB is a 'forever chemical'—it persists in the environment for decades and accumulates in animal fat, meaning HCB used in the 1970s is still contaminating Arctic polar bears and penguins today, a sobering reminder of how industrial chemicals spread globally.
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