LACSD Website - Lindane Reduction Project (L.I.C.E)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Homepage > Information Center > Industrial Waste > Lindane Reduction Project (L.I.C.E)


	Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County Industrial Waste Section 1955 Workman Mill Road Whittier, CA 90601 Phone: (562) 908-4288, ext. 2900

L.I.C.E.

Lindane is an ingredient in prescription products used to treat head lice and the skin mite scabies. Lindane head lice shampoos are often called KWELL. No matter what they are called, they are harmful to the environment. When misused, they can actually hurt kids. Safe and effective alternatives to lindane are available, and prevention and early detection techniques for head lice may be used.

Lindane Pollutes the Water
Lindane products, such as shampoos and creams, are rinsed off after use into the public sewers. Even after treatment, lindane persists and passes into creeks, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Lindane is toxic in the water even in very small amounts. In fact, a single treatment of head lice or scabies with lindane contains enough lindane to pollute six million gallons of surface water in California, the equivalent of 300 swimming pools. Lindane lasts for a long time in the environment, where it can contaminate the tissues of fish and other animals. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has declared lindane to be a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemical.
Lindane is Toxic
Ann Heil, a Senior Engineer with the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, says "Lindane belongs to the same family of chemicals as DDT and PCBs, which have been banned in the United States." Lindane is absorbed through the skin and affects the nervous system. A person being treated for head lice may have seizures or, in rare cases, die when lindane is not used correctly. The United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reports that lindane can cause liver and kidney damage, immune system damage, toxicity to the central nervous system, and even death.
Lindane is Banned in California
Because of its toxic effects on human and the environment, lindane has been banned for the treatment of head lice and scabies in California. This ban took effect January 1, 2002. A copy of the bill enacting the ban is available here.
Alternatives to Lindane
No chemical treatment kills 100% of head lice and their eggs (nits). The most environmentally safe way to treat head lice is by thoroughly inspecting and combing hair with a good metal comb to remove lice and nits. The National Pediculosis Association has full information on treating head lice and scabies and also manufactures the highly effective LiceMeister comb for head lice treatment.
To prevent the spread of head lice, children should not share hats, combs, or brushes and parents should comb hair regularly with a good metal comb to catch head lice early.
Below are a few useful links to prevention and treatment information.
NPA's Ten Tips for Head Lice and Nit Removal
NPA�s Ten Tips for Head Lice Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions About Head Lice
Frequently Asked Questions About Scabies
Lousology 101 � Images and Biology of Head Lice
More Information
For more information on lindane, visit http://www.lindane.org/.
For information on the impact of lindane in water and on the California ban on pharmaceutical lindane usage, contact Preeti Ghuman of the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County at (562) 699-7411, x2904.
For information on prevention and treatment of head lice and scabies, contact the National Pediculosis Assocation at (781) 449-NITS.
Sponsors
This page is brought to you by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, and the National Pediculosis Association. Funding for the page has been provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County