Essay on Use of DBCP and Relation to Infertility

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT is a notorious organochlorine pesticide that is created by the reaction of chloral with chlorobenzene in combination with sulfuric acid(Britannica p.1). It was first used as an insecticide in 1939 by Hermann Muller in Switzerland. DDT works as an insecticideby acting on the nervous system to generate the same neural impulse over and over causing body tremors and eventually death. DDT is an extremely stable chemical compound containing C14H9Cl5 which leads to some significant resistance issues when used as a pesticide. The most problematic property of DDT is its high fat solubility and extremely low water solubility meaning that it has a tendency to stick around in the environment for longer than we want since it is readily taken up in the bodies of nearby mammals.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) has had a huge impact on the fight against malaria, helping to ensure the control or eradication of malaria in many countries around the world in the mid-twentieth century. However, since its peak in the 1960s, succeeded by environmental and health concerns about the usage of the insecticide, more and more countries have been banning the use of DDT.

Within the last ten years, the lack of awareness and false guidelines about the toxicity of pesticides has contributed to many tragic events. In 1988, Karen James, a Michigan postal worker, was walking past one of ChemLawn’s "fertilizer" trucks when a hose ruptured and she was drenched with chemicals. She was told by the ChemLawn employee not to worry because only fertilizers were in the spray and she would be fine. However, soon after she became seriously ill, with symptoms that include diarrhea, vomiting, and fatigue. When her doctor called ChemLawn to find out what chemicals she was exposed to, he was told that they do not use chemicals. But later tests on Karen revealed high levels of Dursban, a toxic pesticide, which forced ChemLawn to admit that they had been lying (Dieglman, 1996).

The first agreement, in 1995, was successfully accomplished at a cost of nearly $3 billion. Due to their achievement on the first contract, they were picked up for the second phase which started in 2000 and they were supposed to close the project by the end of 2006 within a budget of nearly $4 billion. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) anticipated at the beginning that the project would require $36 billion and almost 70 years to be completed; however, the cleanup was finished with a total cost of about $8 billion. The project was named the PMI’s Project of the year in 2006 and received many other awards such as “Project Merit Award from the Environmental Business Journal in 2005” (Hunsberger, 2007). This project was considered a very successful one since it was finished almost half a billion under budget and more than a year earlier than the promised schedule on October 2005. There are a large number of lessons learned that could help every project specifically contamination cleanup projects. All the very on time planning and scheduling, well defined project scope, correct budget planning, and many others have helped this project to be an example project. In the following report we will explore thirteen lessons learned from the closure project (the second phase

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 has proved to be one of the most important environmental protection programs of all time. Also known as Superfund, this act spawned dramatic changes to the environment of the United States. Superfund aimed to cleanup hazardous waste sites in America and protect the health and safety of the general public. Over the years, the Superfund legislation has authorized the government to aid in the cleanup of toxic waste in a variety of effective ways that have ensured the welfare of its citizens. On the whole, CERCLA has transformed hazardous waste sites, changed the outdated disposal methods that companies utilized, and ignited environmental awareness.

Monsanto globalized polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) which are industrial coolants and also carcinogenic pollutants. They were dumped into the air, land, and water. Previously, Monsanto also tested the effects of their products on hundreds pregnant women. The finding of this testing was that the chemicals caused birth defects. This just goes to show the negligence of the company. However, despite all of this, the US government has continued to partner and support Monsanto. They have spent millions on propaganda campaigns, in order to protect their company and in turn, protect their profits. When scientific findings that showed degenerative diseases and birth defects arose, Monsanto used propaganda to cover them up. While Monsanto did not take reasonable steps to ensure their products would not cause harm, the Food and Drug Administration also did not do their due diligence to protect the

Even if you haven’t heard of it, a chemical named Chlorpyrifos, or better known as Dow Chemical Company’s Nerve Gas Pesticide, may be inside you. This pesticide, which belongs to a class of chemicals developed as a nerve gas made by Nazi Germany, is now found in food, air, and drinking water. Studies show that it damages the brain and reduces I.Q.s while causing tremors among children. It has also been linked to lung cancer

During 1970, Indian government encouraged foreign companies to invest in local industry and Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) was asked to set up a plant to manufacture pesticide, to market throughout Asia. Bhopal was chosen as its location because of central location and easier means of transportation. The plant was operated by UCIL, a company controlled by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), an American giant chemical company presently a subsidiary of Dow Chemicals, held a 51% ownership in UCIL and 49% by Indian investors including Government of India. Prior, to the catastrophe the plant had been manufacturing Sevin at one fourth of its production due

Dow retailed it to the US army who used it to clear the dense jungles of in Vietnam. Medical Committee for Human Rights was a Dow shareholder at the time and they were against using napalm to clear the jungles. The shareholders submitted a proposal to force the Dow Company to stop selling napalm propellant; unless they could obtain assurances that it would not be used to injury people. The committee proposed in an appropriate manner and in proper form would have the proposal included in the company's proxy materials for a vote at the shareholder annual meeting. The Dow Management refused to add Medical Committee for Human Right’s proposal to the proxy materials and the results was MCHR sued. (Cheeseman 2013).

A Monsanto plant was sued in 2009 by residents of the town Sauget, Illinois. The residents claim that the factories have released PCB, a synthetic, organic chlorine compound derived from biphenyl, and other toxic chemicals into the town’s environment for over 70 years. Monsanto produces rBGH, which is the hormone that farmers inject into cows to help them produce more milk. This may seem like a good thing, as it produces more milk, a needed source of calcium, and many other vitamins, for most people. However, rBGH is a big problem for cows, humans and the environment.

Was there no forethought in the decision to use these chemicals? Killing off the food supply for the country you are there to

The horrible tragedy at the DuPont Chemical Plant in La Porte, Texas, which ended in four innocent people losing their lives, began roughly 5 days prior to the accident. It was November 10, 2014, when a reactor in the plants Lannate unit, an insecticide DuPont produces for many agricultural purposes, went down for an unscheduled maintenance. Lannate is produced by reacting toxic methyl mercaptan with other chemicals.

There were also many unintended problems that came from the giant sprayings. 95-98% of pesticides sprayed reach destinations other than the intended target, including non-target species, water, soil, and air. This “pesticide drift” lead to water pollution and soil contamination. Soil contamination is a serious problem because it degrades the soil and the communities of organisms can be damaged. Because of this contamination, it has drastic effects on the environment. It incredibly decreases biodiversity, reduces nitrogen in the soil, has contributed to the decline in pollinating insects, destroys habitats (especially those for birds), and threatens endangers species. In order to reduce the negative impacts on the environment, the best pesticides are degradable, or at least quickly deactivate in the environment.

The usage was fairly unregulated and the CDC was in charge of stopping malaria at the time of DDT’s rise to pesticide related stardom which may have a played a part in the overuse. The real issue lies in the quick, repeated usage of the insecticide in the same areas as, with a half life of ~75 years, it takes a long time to fully get out of the area. This is a possible concern but if there is light enough usage and more focused spraying there may not be such damages to the environment. The focused effort wouldn’t even have to be in farms if you were to choose the other, more logical,

In addition to the plant, the governments related in India that issued permits and provided incentives for the plant, Bhopal community officials who permitted slum dwellers to move near the plant in illegal settlements, Indian environmental and safety inspectors should also