Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane Research Paper

DDT has been used since WW2 as an insecticide to control the outbreak of malaria and typhus among troops and civilians. This is because malaria is spread by mosquitos and DDT was considered to be a powerful in eliminating these populations, thus decreasing the infection rate for malaria. Since it was first discovered as an insecticide, worldwide it was used in very large amounts because nobody knew any better and it was considered to be revolutionary. It wasn’t until 1962, when biologist Rachel Carson first outlined the potential harm DDT has on the environment, believing it caused cancer in humans and harmed bird wildlife. This led to the United Stated ban of DDT use in 1972, and later, a worldwide ban under the Stockholm

DDT is a chemical that is widely known for is properties as an insecticide. When humans discovered this “wonder product” the whole country was on fire! The one company that made the most money was Montrose Chemical Corporation. From 1942 - 1971, when DDT was banned, the MCC pumped out DDT tons at a time. However, the bigshots were faced with a problem. Where do you dump all the leftover byproduct? Hey, why not the ocean! When DDT byproduct, DDE, was dumped into the ocean, fish and other seafood had it leached into them. This meant the bald eagles’ main food source was contaminated. When the bald eagles ingested their main source of food, the DDE became very concentrated in them. When bald eagles attempted to lay eggs, barely any would hatch! The DDE caused their eggs to be porous, and the eggs fail to hatch. This meant the bald eagles’ total extinction on the Channel Islands by the 1950’s.

Farmers and those in the agricultural field have for a long time had to deal with insects which try to attack their crops and ruin their potential harvest. To combat these menaces, chemists were able to create chemicals which would kill the insects and protect the crops. These chemicals, such as DDT, were very successful and farmers had more to harvest than in years past. However, there was an unforeseen result of the mass spraying of poisonous chemicals. Human beings were negatively affected in a multitude of ways including direct illnesses as a result of pesticides and indirect negative effects because of the chemicals.

The atomic bomb of pesticides, the toxic compound you may or may not consider on a day to day basis. What is this compound? It is Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, otherwise known as DDT, which is its abbreviation. This white and odorless compound, consisting of benzene, chlorine, and alcohol , was banned in the June of 1972. The use of DDT was forbidden due to its immense risk to the life of the human race, flora and fauna (plants and animals), and most importantly, the world. The long hearings that occurred prior to the ban helped to lead to the prevention of terrible and nearly irreversible damage from the seemingly helpful insecticide.

“What Dupont scientists did not realize until decades later was the extent to which their altered molecules and synthetic chemicals would accumulate in the environment and continue to show up in the blood of virtually every American 25 years after its ban (DDT).”

DDT or dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane was a insecticide used a lot during world war 2 for killing insects that carry disease. This chemical was dispersed into environments and it would stick onto the feet of certain insects and kill them as a result. It was developed in the 1940s to mainly prevent lice infections for soldiers because they had to wear the same pair of clothes when in battle. This lice problem pertained to children as well and these people were treated with DDT. However, as time passed DDT was used in more large amounts, and later they developed airplanes to dump tons of DDT among forests. This caused birds and other consumers to either die or become ill, and birds exposed to DDT often produced soft shelled eggs. Humans

Some supporters believe that the shortcomings on chemical pesticides should be thrown away for a more effective way to oppose malaria. Some people consider this method would bring the same problems and would not solve the disease. As times goes by, some farmers discover a negative side of DDT. Mosquitoes are not only increasing quickly, but they become more resistant to the chemicals pesticides, which means that people use a lot of DDT and more time to kill them so it is a permanent effect on the environment and humans. Moreover, our body don’t have the ability to break down the toxic substance that is stored in our body all the time. These toxic substances will do a lot of harm to pregnant women and infants in sub-Saharan Africa. “According to epidemiological studies on humans, exposure to DDT could also lead to premature birth and low birth weight, and may even harm a mother’s ability to breast feed. Women who are exposed to the chemical in their first trimester of pregnancy may have babies with retarded psychomotor development” (Ovuorie). Meanwhile, DDT effects birds badly, which diminish the birds’ eggshells such as brown pelicans and bald eagles. The number of bird decrease dramatically due to using

The organochlorine pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane) was heavily used in the U.S. since its inception in the 1940’s. It was a favored insecticide by many, especially when it was once accredited by eradicating mosquitoes that carried malaria in some parts of the world. Due to the possible health effects and growing concern of the human and wildlife population, the use of DDT was banned from the U.S. in 1972. However, DDT, like many organochlorines, it is highly persistent in the environment through bioaccumulation. The chemical concentration of DDT increases as it moves through the upper levels of the food chain, more specifically because it deposits itself in adipose tissue cells. The half-life of DDT inside the body is 10

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or “DDT” is an organochlorine insecticide that was first created in 1874. DDT was mostly used as a pesticide for insect control in the US until it was canceled in 1972 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA). DDT was also used in WWII to control diseases such as malaria, typhus, and bubonic plague. DDT has since been outlawed because of its adverse health effects on humans and wildlife.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), is a controversial chemical that has been adopted for use by African Heads of State and Government in attempt to treat victims of the disease malaria. In the past, DDT was widely used during World War II as a means of treatment for malaria among civilians and soldiers; later, farmers started using DDT as an agriculture insecticide. American biologist Rachael Carson wrote about the consequences of using DDT on the environment as well as public health, and her work, The Silent Spring, sparked the environmental movement; not long afterwards, DDT was banned from agricultural use in the United States, but was still commonly used to control malaria.

Good afternoon everyone, we represent a group of individuals that have studied the effects of DDT on the environment. We would like to begin by expressing the harmful effects that we have observed in our research of DDT. DDT is incredibly easy to distribute, and can spread easily around the environment. The pesticide can remain in soil, and does not break down naturally. The DDT is absorbed in the fatty tissue of humans and animals and accumulates over extended periods of time, it then can be transferred from various organisms when ingested, through eating, breathing, or even touching a contaminated organism. This does not only affect mosquitoes, but all animals. Extraneous circumstances, such as a rise in temperature, can also interfere with an organism’s ability to resist

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT is a strong insecticide. DDT was first produced in 1874. It was perfected and used to keep mosquitos away in the 1930’s. It was used in World War 2 to keep away mosquitoes that carried deadly viruses off the military men. DDT was banned from use in a few places in the 1970’s. It was banned from the United States in 1972. However, in some areas it had been kept in use over the years and is still used in many parts of the world today. The use of DDT has been in debate around the world for many years. There are many pros and cons to using this insecticide.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) a stable chemical compound that is high in chlorine pesticide levels, notorious for its agricultural purposes (Martin et al, 2013) it has with no doubt aroused debates around the idea of its use. Silent Spring has clearly caused a debate for decades, one of the quotes from the book was “It is not my contention, that chemical insect - ideas must never be used. I do not content that we have put poisonous and biologically potent…” (Carson, 1962). Carson was not against the idea of DDT but simply its overuse, its great use regarding insect transferred diseases was of great help, still is (Souder, 2012). The following essay describes opposing views on the use of DDT, has its use led to a co-existence between humans and nature(Chris Park, 2013) or a more technology and science orientated belief (Chris Park, 2007). Sri Lanka and South Africa are two of the most successful countries that have used DDT to eliminate Malaria. Since 2007 no deaths have been reported as a result of malaria in Sri Lanka (World Health Organisation, 2012) and over 85% cut malaria related deaths in SA().

The pesticide DDT was first utilized in 1939 when a Swiss chemist, Paul Hermann Muller revealed the effectiveness of the 1st modern synthetic insecticide. In 1945, farmers gained access to DDT to use as an agricultural insecticide; it was also widely used in homes and institutions for insect control. Years later in 1969, DDTs safety concern grew. Following an investigation conducted by John F. Kennedy’s team of scientists, it was recommended that “persistent toxic pesticides”, including DDT, become phased out. In 1971, the U.S. District Court of Appeals ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to ban DDT; in 1972-3 DDT the ban became effective.

The chemical DDT is greatly known as an insecticide, although it is not even known by many people. DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, was created in 1874 by Othmar Zeidler, an Austrian chemist, with supervision by Adolf von Baeyer; however, no uses were found and it just became a useless chemical. The chemical was brought back into people’s minds in the late 1920s to early 1930s. In 1939, a Swiss scientist Paul Muller examined the properties of DDT, noting that these properties that DDT has match the properties that all insecticides have. Classifying it as an insecticide, and seeing that it acted as an insecticide, Paul Muller received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1948 for his contributions for DDT.