Lindane is an insecticide used in prescription shampoos and creams to treat scabies and head lice. It is a neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen, and can accumulate in the environment. Lindane is banned in at least 200 countries and can pass through the placenta and breast milk.
Lindane is an organic compound produced as a white solid from hexachlorocyclohexane for use as an insecticide. Also known as gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, benzene hexachloride and gammalline, lindane is also used in the preparation of prescription shampoos and creams to treat scabies and head lice.
Lindane is classified as a neurotoxin and is a suspected carcinogen and endocrine disruptor. Its mechanism of action is to block an important neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at receptor sites. As pharmaceuticals, lindane products must be labeled with a “black box warning” in the United States. This is a cautionary statement that misuse of the product may cause harm to infants, children, the elderly, people with certain skin conditions, or those weighing less than 110 lbs (50 kg). The warning also advises against using lindane products at all on infants who are premature or have seizure disorders.
Although lindane has not been produced in the United States since 1976, it continues to be imported for pharmaceutical use. With the exception of California and Michigan, it is permitted for this purpose in most states. On a global scale, numerous countries restrict or require registration for the use of lindane as an agricultural insecticide, including the United States. However, lindane has been banned altogether in at least 2006 countries since 2006.
Lindane is very persistent in the environment. Indeed, it accumulates in the fatty tissue of fish and adheres to soil particles in the form of vapour. Lindane can also be transported significant distances through a natural process known as global distillation or the grasshopper effect. Because it survives as air vapor for long periods, it will ride air currents and eventually gravitate to colder climates where it will condense and accumulate. This is why pollutants are sometimes found in animal tissue and soil samples in elevated regions, even if the substance did not originate there.
While exposure to lindane doesn’t usually cause birth defects in animals, it’s not known whether it does in humans. However, it should be noted that studies have shown that lindane can pass through the placenta of pregnant women and enter breast milk. If there is any concern about the possible toxicity of this organic compound, tests are available. Hexachlorocyclohexane isomers can be detected and measured from samples of body fat, breast milk, semen, blood and urine.
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