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Hexachlorocyclohexane

Gamma-HCH is used as a commercial insecticide in fruit and vegetable crops.

Chemical Formula: C₆H₆Cl₆

Other names: Lindane, gamma benzene hexachloride, gamma-HCH, gamma-(a,a,a,e,e,e)-1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexachlorocyclohexane

Layman's explanation: Hexaclorocyclohexane (HCH) is a white or yellowish crystalline powder with a persistent musty odor. It is a commercial insecticide mostly used on fruit and vegetable crops and against cotton insects. It is also used as a soil poison and as a toxicant for grasshoppers. In the United States and in many other countries, it is used as a topical treatment for head and body lice and scabies, a contagious skin disease caused by mites. Gamma-HCH has not been produced in the United States since 1976 but it is imported as dust, powder or liquid and used as an insecticide. It is also found in lotions, creams, or shampoos to control scabies and head lice. Vapors of HCH may irritate eyes, nose and throat. In humans, the effects of breathing toxic amounts of gamma-HCH can result in blood disorders, dizziness, headaches, and possible changes in the levels of sex hormones in the blood.

Keywords: insecticide, medication

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