An insecticide called lindane has been found to be carcinogenic to humans, while the insecticide DDT – possibly carcinogenic, reports Reuters.
As announced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), after reviewing the results of epidemiological studies on various chemicals used in agriculture, its specialized panel decided to classify lindane as carcinogenic to humans. It is associated especially with non-Hodgkin’s (non-Hodgkin’s) lymphoma.
In contrast, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) has been identified as possibly carcinogenic to humans – links were found between exposure to DDT and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular and liver cancer.
In the past, both measures were often used together. They are still present in the environment and therefore in food.
Lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane) is a crystalline substance with a faint musty odor. The first synthesis of this substance was made by the famous British physicist and chemist Michael Faraday in 1825, but it was isolated and described in 1912 by the Dutch chemist Teunis van der Linden, from whom the trade name is derived.
The insecticidal activity of lindane was discovered in 1942 and it was mainly used in forestry and the cultivation of industrial plants. In medicine, it is sometimes used as a second-line drug, used externally against head lice and scabies. In 2009, the production and use of lindane in agriculture was banned in most countries under the Stockholm Convention, but was still used for medical purposes.
DDT, also known in Poland as Azotox, was first used to control insects in 1939. In 1948, the discoverer of its insecticidal properties – Swiss Paul Mueller – received the Nobel Prize for his discovery. DDT easily penetrates the insect’s body and kills it quickly, paralyzing the nervous system. Thanks to DDT, mosquitoes that carry malaria have been successfully combated in many regions of the world. Before it was revealed that it also harms humans and animals, this measure was widely used all over the world.
The extraordinary durability of DDT (its half-life takes 60 years) means that it still circulates in nature and can be detected in all living organisms. It accumulates, for example, in the tissues of birds that feed on insects and predators. DDT was used during World War II to combat malaria-carrying mosquitoes and after the war to protect crops from pests. But over time, concerns have arisen about the effects of this substance on the human body and the accumulation of DDT in animals, especially predators. DDT also finds its way into the human body, where it is metabolized into DDE.
The use of DDT was banned in the USA in 1972, and many other countries introduced a similar ban. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) still recommends its use in some countries as a cheap and effective insecticide against malaria. Malaria remains one of the greatest health threats facing tropical countries.