It is still in use in treatment against lice and scabies in humans and also against ectoparasites in veterinary treatment. In a control study, Davis et al. reported a statistically significant increase of brain cancer in children following treatment with lindane shampoo. Veterinary use in sheep can cause contamination of wool, as well of milk and meat. The organochlorines in general, and lindane in particular, are characterised by their broad spectrum insecticidal activity, long persistence in the environment, and their tendency to bio-accumulate along the food chain. Several cases of human poisoning by lindane have been reported.
Children are significantly more susceptible to the toxic effects of lindane.
Since lindane has been in very widespread use for several decades, its long term health effects have been extensively studied. Included among the reported chronic effects of exposure to lindane are nervous disorders and increased liver weight. Key health issues. Exposure to lindane has been linked with blood disorders known as blood dyscrasias, and in particular the disorders aplastic anaemia where the formation of platelets and white cells is disrupted. Lindane is an endocrine disruptor which is capable of imitating hormones in humans and thereby disrupting the physiological functions which these hormones control.