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Lindane Exposure
Lindane Exposure
Lindane, is a toxic insecticide used to treat seeds for wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley and sorghum crops. Lindane has frequently been compared to DDT and other comparable compounds that have been banned throughout the world since the 1970s. Currently lindane is banned is approximately 52 countries.
After a lengthy review of lindane, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided on August 2, 2006 not to renew the registration of lindane as an insecticide. In 1996, under the Food Quality Protection Act, Congress initiated a 10-year review of over 200 active ingredients in pesticides witch also helped the EPA with their decision. Jim Jones, director of the EPA's pesticide program, stated the agency weighed lindane's toxicity and its persistence in the environment against its "very few benefits for users," considering the fact that safer alternatives for treating corn, wheat and other grain seeds were available.
The EPA has recognized the hazards of lindane for years, calling it quite toxic to humans. The EPA has classified lindane as a probable carcinogen, and in high doses it can damages the human nervous system, liver, and immune systems. An estimated 230,000 pounds of lindane are used each year in the United States. California growers have already cut back its use, reporting application of only 775 pounds in 2004, compared with just about 5,000 pounds four years earlier, according to state records.
Today, the only remaining use of lindane in the United States is for prescription shampoos and lotion treatments for head lice and scabies, which are monitored by the FDA, not the EPA. Lindane prescriptions have been banned in California since 2002, and most U.S. doctors no longer prescribe them.
Legal Help for Victims of Lindane Exposure
If you or a loved one has been exposed to lindane, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified pollutants attorney. Alternatively, call our toll free number: 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
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Chemical used on lice banned as pesticide
Aug 6, 2006 | Los Angeles Times
A highly toxic pesticide that is one of the last holdouts from the 1950s is being banned in the United States after a long review by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA decided not to renew the registration of lindane, an insecticide used to treat seeds for wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley and sorghum crops. In response, the manufacturers agreed to cease sales in the United States, EPA officials said this past week. Lindane is a chlorinated pesticide, much like DDT...
EPA Bans Lindane for Use as Pesticide
Aug 2, 2006 | Los Angeles Times
A highly toxic pesticide that is one of the last such holdouts from the 1950s is being banned in the United States after a lengthy review by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA decided not to renew the registration of lindane, an insecticide used to treat seeds for wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley and sorghum crops. In response, the manufacturers agreed to cease sales in the United States, EPA officials said Tuesday. Lindane is a chlorinated pesticide, much like DDT and similar...
Toxic Substances
