Lindane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chlorinated insecticide formerly used in agriculture and medicine to control pests and parasites ; a chemical compound applied externally to treat lice and scabies infestations ; an organochlorine compound known for its persistence in the environment and potential toxic effects on humans and wildlife
2. A synthetic pesticide used historically for killing insects on crops or animals ; a pharmaceutical agent for eliminating ectoparasites such as lice and mites ; a toxic halogenated hydrocarbon that can accumulate in ecosystems and cause health hazards
3. An organochlorine insecticide once common in farming and veterinary use ; a topical medication applied to human skin for parasitic infections ; an environmentally persistent chemical associated with contamination and safety concerns in chemical regulation

Etymology: Lindane is named after Teun van der Linden, a Dutch chemist who worked on the compound in the 1920s. He isolated the gamma isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) in 1912 while studying the mixture produced by reacting benzene with chlorine, and it was the gamma form that proved to be insecticidal. In 1943 Dutch researchers, including Van der Linden's colleagues, recognized that this active component could be separated and used as a pesticide, and the name honoring him was adopted for it. The word is therefore a eponym formed on a surname, not a descriptive chemical coinage. Its origin is simply the chemist's name with the ending that scientists often attach to commercial and named compounds. Since the name was given to a single isomer, it refers specifically to that form rather than to the mixed HCH product from which it was derived.

Synonyms: gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, GHC