## 1 Introduction  
Pesticides, which can be naturally derived, industrially manufactured, or produced from microorganisms, are widely used in agriculture to control weeds and insect pests [1, 2]. However, their extensive use has led to environmental contamination, raising public health concerns. Many pesticides persist in the food chain and environmental sources like water, air, soil, and sediments, resulting in continuous exposure with potential short- and long-term risks to humans and wildlife [3, 4, 5]. In recent decades, female infertility has significantly increased, with evidence suggesting a strong link between environmental pollutants and reproductive health issues, in addition to genetic and lifestyle factors [6; 7; 8; 9]. As a result, increasing attention is being given to the effects of pollutants on female fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and overall reproductive health [10; 11]. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are persistent, lipophilic chemicals widely used in agriculture and epidemics [12; 13; 14; 15]. They accumulate in fatty tissues like the ovaries and liver and pose risks including carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, and disruption of endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems, even at low environmental exposures [16; 17; 18; 19]. Lindane, the isomer \(\gamma\)-Hexachlorocyclohexane, is one of the longest-lasting OCPs, used as a broad-spectrum insecticide and also for medical and veterinary purposes, employed for the treatment of scabies and parasites [4; 12]. Recent evidence of its toxicity has led to the classification of Lindane as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) based on statistically significant increases in the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with higher levels of occupational exposure [20]. In the general population, blood concentrations of Lindane have been reported in the range of 0.1-1 \(\upmu\)g/L [21; 22; 23]. Neurologic symptoms and changes in liver function have been observed among workers when blood concentrations exceed 20 \(\upmu\)g/L [2; 24; 25; 26]. Due to its high toxicity and persistence, Lindane has been banned or restricted in many countries, with a global agricultural ban enforced by the 2009 Stockholm Convention. Italy banned its use only in 2022. Despite these measures, some countries like China, India, the US, and Canada still use Lindane for treating lice and scabies, with India being the sole producer for pharmaceutical purposes. Lindane production has created vast toxic waste, causing environmental contamination [27; 28; 29]. Currently, the only active production facility is in India, uniquely for pharmaceutical purposes [30]. Although its use has declined, residues persist, and global trade in treated products continues to pose exposure risks [3; 31; 32]. Furthermore, research on occupational exposure is limited, and there is a lack of direct data in those areas where it is still in use [2]. Lindane is classified as an endocrine disruptor and reproductive toxicant, interfering with hormone function, synthesis, and receptor activity. Due to its lipophilic nature, it can accumulate in breast milk and placenta and has been associated with female infertility, intrauterine growth retardation, and preterm births [3; 4; 16]. Its reproductive toxicity is linked to gap junction disruption, altered calcium homeostasis, impaired maturation-promoting factor (MPF) activity, and spindle formation. Specifically, it has been shown to inhibit connexin-43-mediated gap junction formation in granulosa cells, suppressing FSH- and TGF-81-induced steroidogenesis and intercellular connectivity [33]. Moreover, Lindane exposure abolishes oocyte-directed follicle-organizing activity by disrupting gap junctions between the oocyte and surrounding somatic cells, thus impairing essential cumulus-oocyte communication [34].