On Tuesday, the World Health Organization cancer agency says that a non-hodgkin lymphoma type of disease that can cause cancer to a human body was linked to the insecticide Lindane.

Based on reviews made by agriculture and chemical experts, lindane is classified as "carcinogenic to humans." The pesticide DDT or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane was labeled as "probably carcinogenic to humans" while the herbicide 2-4-D was rated as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." The review was headed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

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The agency released a statement saying, "Epidemiological studies found positive associations between exposure to DDT and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, testicular cancer, and liver cancer."

This insecticide lindane was once widely used in agricultural fields and used to treat human lice and scabies. It was banned since 2009 and was restricted in most countries under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, according to The Guardian.

While not totally banned, lindane is still used today to treat scabies and human lice albeit under close medical supervision.

Lindane-based shampoo is used to kill lice, while lotions from lindane are used to treat scabies when directly applied to skin. These products have been available since the early '50s and still approved by the FDA, according to Channel News Asia.

IARC head Dr. Kurt Straif told the BBC that no study was made in order to reassess the risks involved in these types of exposure.

On the other hand, Epidemiological studies did not find strong or increasingly consistent risk of NHL or other cancer related diseases from the 2, 4-D exposures. However, evidences somehow made it strong that it induces oxidative stress, a certain process in which it damages the cells in the human body and can suppress the human immune system based on moderate evidences.

Cases have been previously reported that there are already high exposures to lindane among agricultural workers and pesticide applicators.

"Large epidemiological studies of agricultural exposures in the United States and Canada showed a 60 percent increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in those exposed to lindane," it declared.

During World War Two, DDT was first introduced for controlling insect-borne diseases and was later used for eradicating malaria outbreak and for agricultural purposes, according to Reuters.

Occupational exposure to 2, 4-D can happen during manufacturing and application and usually people in general populated areas through food, water, dust or residential application and during spraying.

TagsDDT, insecticides, WHO, lindane, Cancer