Lindane is used as an insecticide on fruit and vegetable crops, for seed treatment, in forestry, and for animal treatment. It is no longer produced in the United States and aerial application of the chemical is prohibited; however, it is still formulated in this country. Lindane is also used topically for the treatment of head and body lice and scabies; it is available in 1% preparations as a lotion, cream, or shampoo.

Lindane is quite toxic to humans. The acute (short-term) effects of lindane through inhalation exposure in humans consist of irritation of the nose and throat and effects on the blood and skin. Chronic (long-term) exposure to lindane by inhalation in humans has been associated with effects on the liver, blood, and nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems. The Reference Concentration (RfC) for lindane is under review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Limited information is available on the reproductive or developmental effects of lindane in humans. Animal studies indicate that lindane causes reproductive effects, such as decreased sperm count, via oral exposure, while developmental effects, including birth defects, have not been noted. No studies are available on the carcinogenic effects of lindane in humans or animals via inhalation exposure. Oral animal studies have shown lindane to be a liver carcinogen. EPA has classified lindane as a possible human carcinogen of low to medium carcinogenic hazard.

The most probable route of lindane exposure in humans is oral ingestion of food containing the insecticide. Lindane may be released to the air during its formulation, from wind erosion of contaminated soil, or from release from hazardous waste sites. Lindane has been detected in groundwater and surface water samples collected near hazardous waste sites; however, the chemical has only very rarely been detected in drinking water supplies. Lindane has been listed as a pollutant of concern to EPA's Great Waters Program due to its persistence in the environment, potential to bioaccumulate, and toxicity to humans and the environment.

Lindane can be measured in the blood, urine, and semen of exposed individuals by gas chromatography.

CEHS website:
http://www.envtox.ucdavis.edu/CEHS/Index.htm