Lindane chemical alternatives for agricultural, livestock and veterinary uses are considered efficient, technically feasible and accessible.


Available alternatives

In the United States, at least one of the following active ingredients is registered for seed treatment for corn, barley, wheat, oat, rye and sorghum: Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam, Imidacloprid, Permethrin and Tefluthrin. For uses on livestock, Amitraz, Carbaryl, Coumaphos, Cyfluthrin, Cypermethrin, Diazinon, Dichlorvos, Fenvalerate, Lambdacyhalothrin, Malathion, Methoxychlor, Permethrin, Phosmet, Pyrethrin, Tetrachlorvinfos, and Trichlorfon are registered. Veterinary Drugs include: Eprinomectin, Ivermectin, Doramectin, Moxidectin, and Methoprene. For pharmaceutical uses, approved treatments for head lice include: Pyrethrum/Piperonyl butoxide, Permethrin, and Malathion. Lice nit combs are also recommended for use in conjunction with these treatments. For scabies, Permethrin and Crotamiton (Eurax) are approved treatments (Annex F information provided by the United States of America, 2007).

Canadian alternatives for pharmaceutical uses of Lindane include: Permethrin (1% cream), Bioallethrin and piperonyl butoxide, Pyrethrin and piperonyl butoxide, Permethrin (5% cream), Precipitatedisulphur 6% in petrolatum and Crotamiton 10% (Eurax). Canadian registered alternatives for agricultural uses include: for canola: Acetamiprid, Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam and Imidacloprid; for corn: Clothianidin, Imidacloprid (only for field corn grown for seed) and Tefluthrin; and for sorghum: Thiamethoxam and Imidacloprid. Alternatives for livestock treatments include: Carbaryl, Diazinon, Dichlorvos, Malathion, Phosmet, Tetrachlorvinphos, Trichlorfon, Cyfluthrin, Cypermethrin, Fenvalerate, Permethrin, Pyrethrin, Rotenone, Eprinomectin, Evermectin, Abamectin, Doramectin, Moxidectin and Phosmet (CEC, 2006).

Alternatives for use on canola cultivation in the Republic of Zambia include: Gaucho, Helix and Primer-Z, and for head lice treatment: Nix (Annex F information provided by the Republic of Zambia, 2007).

In Germany, alternatives against Atomaria linearis include: Thiamethoxam, Imidacloprid, Imidacloprid / Tefluthrin, Clothianidin, Clothianidin / Beta-Cyfluthrin, Alpha-Cypermethrin and Deltamethrin; against Elateridae: Clothianidin, Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam; against leaf-cutting insects: Lambda-Cyhalothrin, Acadirachtin, Pyrethrin / Rapsöl, Beta-Cyfluthrin, Alpha-Cypermethrin, Lambda-Cyhalothrin, Acadirachtin, Pyrethrin / Rapsöl and Methamidophos. Alternatives for use as a wood protection product include: 3-Iodo-2-propynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC), (E)-1-(2-Chloro1,3-thiazol-5-ylmethyl)-3-methyl-2-nitro guanidine / Clothianidin, 1-(4-(2-Chloro-alpha,alpha,alpha-ptrifluorotolyloxy)-2-fluorophenyl)-3-(2,6-difluorobenzolyl)urea / Flufenoxuron, Cyclopropanecarboxylic acid, 3-[(1Z)2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propenyl]-2,2-dimethyl-, (2-methyl[1,1’-biphenyl]-3-ylmethyl ester, (1R,3R)-rel- / Bifenthrin, 3-Phenoxybenzyl-2-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-2-methylpropylether / Etofenprox, m-Phenoxybenzyl 3-(2,2dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclo propanecarboxylate / Permethrin, alpha.-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl 3-(2,2dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclo propanecarboxylate / Cypermethrin, Dazomet, Thiamethoxam and 4-Bromo-2-(4chlorophenyl)-1-(ethoxymethyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrrole-3-carbonitrile / Chlorfenapyr. The alternative used for public health and veterinary topical insecticide is: Infectopedicul solution (Permethrin) (Annex F information provided by Germany, 2007).

For further information, please refer to 

  • UNEP/POPS/COP.6/INF/4/Rev.1 – Report on a study of health sector information sources on the availability of lindane as a pharmaceutical and its alternatives as a treatment for head lice and scabies
  • Risk profile ArChEnFrRuSp (PDF)
  • Risk management evaluation ArChEnFrRuSp (PDF)