What is lindane, and what are its health impacts?

Lindane is a type of pesticide called an organochlorine. Most organochlorine pesticides are no longer used in the United States because of their toxicity and ability to build up in humans and animals. Even though all uses of lindane have been banned in 52 countries, several major uses remain here. In agriculture, lindane is used to treat the seeds of six crops: barley, corn, oats, rye, sorghum, and wheat. EPA has announced its intention to cancel these uses, however, because of lindane’s persistence and toxicity. It is also sold as a prescription treatment for lice and scabies.

Symptoms of overexposure to lindane can include effects on the nervous system such as dizziness, headache, paresthesia (a sensation of pricking, tingling, or creeping on the skin), seizures, coma, and death. Lindane may also cause blood disorders and kidney and liver toxicity, and may affect the endocrine and immune systems. The Department of Health and Human Services has determined that lindane may reasonably be anticipated to cause cancer in humans, and lindane is listed as a carcinogen by the state of California.

How can I reduce my exposure to lindane?

The biggest risk of using lindane is to children on whom it is used for lice or scabies, as well as the caregivers who apply the product to them. Lindane is absorbed through the skin and can affect many organs in the body. There have been many cases of illness due to accidental ingestion of lindane by people who mistook it for another medication such as cough syrup. The use of pesticides is not necessary, or even effective, for controlling lice and scabies. According to the Washington Department of Health, the only certain way to get rid of lice is to comb thoroughly twice a day for 21 days. Read about safe control methods for lice in our fact sheet, Getting Ahead of Lice (66kb PDF file). For information on safer control of scabies, read Lindane-Free Scabies Prevention and Treatment (53kb PDF file) by INFORM, Inc.

The agricultural uses of lindane result in small but widespread exposure to those who eat the crops grown from treated seed. A 2003 study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 62% of U.S. residents sampled carry the insecticide in their body, and the highest levels are found among women of childbearing age. To reduce your exposure to lindane and other pesticides in food, choose organic food as much as possible, and reduce your consumption of animal fats. For more information on safer food choices, see these guidelines from the Pollution in People website.