Dieldrin
chemical compound
Dieldrin is an organochlorine compound originally produced in 1948 by J. Hyman & Co, Denver, as an insecticide. Dieldrin is closely related to aldrin, which reacts further to form dieldrin. Aldrin is not toxic to insects; it is oxidized in the insect to form dieldrin which is the active compound. Both dieldrin and aldrin are named after the Diels–Alder reaction which is used to form aldrin from a mixture of norbornadiene and hexachlorocyclopentadiene.
Originally developed in the 1940s as an alternative to DDT, dieldrin proved to be a highly effective insecticide and was very widely used during the 1950s to early 1970s. Endrin is a stereoisomer of dieldrin.
When concerns started to be raised into the safety of Dieldrin in the 1960s, the leading manufacturer, Shell Chemicals, conducted in house research to prove its safety. Conducted at Shell's Tunstall Laboratory, in Sittingbourne in southern England, thirteen volunteers were subjected to up to ten times the amount of Dieldrin found in farmed food, and Shell reported 'no apparent effect on their health.'
However, independent research has shown it is an extremely persistent organic pollutant; it does not easily break down. Furthermore, it tends to biomagnify as it is passed along the food chain. Long-term exposure has proven toxic to a very wide range of animals including humans, far greater than to the original insect targets.
The public source identifies “Dieldrin” as chemical compound. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Dieldrin, chemical and compound.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Dieldrin”, the useful work is to connect “chemical compound” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q423992. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1948.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Dieldrin”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Dieldrin primary sources, Dieldrin archive and Dieldrin research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Dieldrin”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Dieldrin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.