Chemical Sampling Information
	Lindane
Quick Links General Description Exposure Limits Health Factors Monitoring Search    [use word(s)/phrase] Table of Contents By Name A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z By CAS Number General Description Synonyms: BHC; Benzene hexachloride; HCH; gamma-Hexachlorocyclohexane; gamma isomer of 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexachlorocyclohexane; gamma BHC; Isotox OSHA IMIS Code Number: 1595 Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number: 58-89-9 NIOSH, Registry of Toxic Effects (RTECS) Identification Number: GV4900000 Department of Transportation Regulation Number (49 CFR 172.101) and Guide: 2761 151 [27 KB, PDF] NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Lindane: chemical description, physical properties, potentially hazardous incompatibilities, and more Exposure Limits OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 Z-1 Table -- 0.5 mg/m3 TWA; Skin OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Construction Industry: 29 CFR 1926.55 Appendix A -- 0.5 mg/m3 TWA; Skin OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Maritime: 29 CFR 1915.1000 Table Z-Shipyards -- 0.5 mg/m3 TWA; Skin American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 0.5 mg/m3 TWA; Skin; Appendix A3 - Confirmed Animal Carcinogen with Unknown Relevance to Humans National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL): 0.5 mg/m3, 0.04 ppm TWA; Skin Health Factors National Toxicology Program (NTP) carcinogenic classification: Reasonably Anticipated to be Human Carcinogen [216 KB, PDF] International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carcinogenic classification: Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans (hexachlorocyclohexanes) [1 MB, PDF] Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carcinogenic classification: Group B2/C, possible human carcinogen NIOSH Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health Concentration (IDLH): 50 mg/m3 Potential symptoms: Irritation of eyes, skin, nose, throat; headache; nausea; clonic convulsions; respiratory difficulty; cyanosis, aplastic anemia; muscle spasms; in animals: liver, kidney damage; INGES. ACUTE: Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea. Health Effects: Cumulative CNS effects (HE7); Cumulative liver damage (HE3); Mutagen/Suspect Carcinogen (HE2) Affected organs: Eyes, skin, CNS, blood, liver, kidneys Notes: The U.S. EPA issued final orders cancelling the registrations of all remaining pesticide products containing lindane on December 13, 2006. The last use date for these products will be October 1, 2009. EPA’s oral reference dose (daily oral exposure likely to be without an appreciable risk of noncancer effects during a lifetime) for lindane is 0.0003 mg/kg/day. Hundreds of accidental intoxications of lindane have occurred by ingestion of topical preparations for the treatment of pedulicosis and scabies. Lindane can be absorbed through the skin and excreted in the urine as trichlorophenol glucuronide metabolites. More than 20 urinary metabolites were found among a group of 21 lindane-production employees, the most abundant being conjugates of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-, 2,3,5- and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol. The mean half-life for urinary excretion of radioactivity from 14C-labeled lindane administered intravenously to 6 volunteers was reported to be 26 hours. Exposure to lindane is among the three insecticide exposures reported to be positively associated with farmer’s lung (hypersensitivity pneumonitis). Epidemiological studies in the US and Iceland reported an exposure-related increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Substantia nigra tissues from brains of parkinsonism patients were reported to contain significantly greater amounts of lindane than those from patients with cortical Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or patients without dementia or parkinsonism (controls). Date Last Revised: 04/11/2007 Literature Basis: NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Lindane. International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO): Lindane. EPA Air Toxics Website: Lindane (Gamma-Hexachlorocyclohexane). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Technology Transfer Network. Angerer, J., Maass, R. and Heinrich, R.: Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane. VI. Metabolism of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane in man. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 52(1): 59-67, 1983. Blair, A., Cantor, K.P. and Zahm, S.H.: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and agricultural use of the insecticide lindane. Am. J. Ind. Med. 33(1): 82-87, 1998. Corrigan, F.M., Weinburg, C.L., Shore, R.F., Daniel, S.E. and Mann, D.: Organochlorine insecticides in substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 59(4): 229-234. Dick, A.P., Blain, P.G. and Williams, F.M.: The percutaneous absorption and skin distribution of lindane in man. I. In vivo studies. Hum. Exp. Toxicol. 16(11): 645-651, 1997. Drummond, L., Gillanders, E.M. and Wilson, H.K.: Plasma ?-hexachlorocyclohexane concentrations in forestry workers exposed to lindane. Br. J. Ind. Med. 45(7): 493-497, 1988. Feldmann, R.J. and Maibach, H.I.: Percutaneous penetration of some pesticides and herbicides in man. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 28: 126-132, 1974. Hoppin, J.A., et al.: Pesticides and other agricultural factors associated with self-reported farmer’s lung among farm residents in the Agricultural Health Study. Occup. Environ. Med. 64: 334-341, 2007. No authors listed: Lindane (CAS No. 58-89-9). Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program, 2005. [216 KB, PDF] No authors listed: Pesticide News Story: Remaining Lindane Registrations Cancelled. Pohanish, R.P. (editor): Lindane. In, Sittig’s Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, Fourth Ed., Vol. 2. Norwich, NY: Noyes Publications, William Andrew Publishing, 2002, pp. 1406-1409. Purdue, M.P., Hoppin, J.A., Blair, A., Dosemeci, M. and Alavanja, M.C.: Occupational exposure to organochlorine insecticides and cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study. Int. J. Cancer 120(3): 642-649, 2007. Sievert, J., et al.: Unintentional topical lindane ingestions—United States, 1998-2003. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly Rep. 54(21): 533-535, 2005. Monitoring Methods used by OSHA Laboratory Sampling/Analytical Method: sampling media: Glass Fiber Filter (37 mm) in series with Midget Impinger containing 10 mL Ethylene Glycol maximum volume:240 Liters   maximum flow rate: 1.0 L/min current analytical method: Gas Chromatography; GC/ECD method reference: OSHA Modified NIOSH Analytical Method (NIOSH 5502) [18 KB, PDF] method classification: Partially Validated note: Use filter and no backup pad. NIOSH method uses isooctane, OSHA modification uses ethylene glycol in bubbler. Bulk method: Limit the amount of bulk submitted to one gram or one mL. All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine at 202-693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.