Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is an insecticide used in agriculture. ... Some countries outside the United States still use DDT to control of mosquitoes that spread malaria. DDT and its related chemicals persist for a long time in the environment and in animal tissues.

What is DDT and why was it banned?

In 1972, EPA issued a cancellation order for DDT based on its adverse environmental effects, such as those to wildlife, as well as its potential human health risks. Since then, studies have continued, and a relationship between DDT exposure and reproductive effects in humans is suspected, based on studies in animals.

What are the harmful effects of DDT?

Human health effects from DDT at low environmental doses are unknown. Following exposure to high doses, human symptoms can include vomiting, tremors or shakiness, and seizures. Laboratory animal studies showed effects on the liver and reproduction. DDT is considered a possible human carcinogen.

Is DDT poisonous to humans?

DDT is classified as "moderately toxic" by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) and "moderately hazardous" by WHO, based on the rat oral LD ₅₀ of 113 mg/kg. Indirect exposure is considered relatively non-toxic for humans.

Does DDT cause cancer in humans?

Some studies in humans linked DDT levels in the body with breast cancer, but other studies have not made this link. Other studies in humans have linked exposure to DDT/DDE with having lymphoma, leukemia, and pancreatic cancer. No definitive association with these cancers has been made.

Do we really need pesticides? - Fernan Pérez-Gálvez

31 related questions found

Did DDT cause polio?

All epidemiologists agreed that flies could transmit polio to humans, Weaver wrote, but most believed DDT could not stop the disease. And while there was evidence that flies transmitted polio, he added, it was unlikely that they transmitted most cases.

How long does DDT stay in the soil?

The half-life of DDT in soil can vary between 2 and 15 years, depending on the soil acidity and temperature. that only small amounts will move though soil into groundwater. fatty tissues with concentrations typically increasing with the trophic level of the organism.

Is DDT still used today?

DDT is still used today in South America, Africa, and Asia for this purpose. Farmers used DDT on a variety of food crops in the United States and worldwide. ... The reason why DDT was so widely used was because it is effective, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and lasts a long time in the environment (2).

Is DDT banned in the US?

The United States banned the use of DDT in 1972. Some countries outside the United States still use DDT to control of mosquitoes that spread malaria. DDT and its related chemicals persist for a long time in the environment and in animal tissues.

Should we use DDT?

The 15 environmental health experts, who reviewed almost 500 health studies, concluded that DDT "should be used with caution, only when needed, and when no other effective, safe and affordable alternatives are locally available."

Why should DDT be banned?

Because DDT can travel long distances and accumulate in the body, millions of humans and animals worldwide have buildups of the chemical in their tissue, even though it may have been used on another continent. ...

What countries have banned DDT?

The countries that have banned DDT include Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia,Cyprus, Ethiopia, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Norway, Switzerland, and the USA.

Which countries still use DDT?

Production, use, and management

DDT is currently being produced in three countries: India, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK; North Korea) (Table 1). By far the largest amounts are produced in India for the purpose of disease vector control.

Why did they spray DDT?

DDT was used widely across the United States to kill off the mosquitoes that were spreading polio. In 1972 the Environmental Protection Agency banned the chemical because of the adverse environmental effects, and it is now classified as a probable human carcinogen.

What the World Needs Now Is DDT?

DDT had not been sold as a way to control malaria but to eradicate it, so the world would never have to think about malaria again. But eradication failed -- it is now considered biologically impossible -- and because DDT had not lived up to its billing, disillusion set in.

What are insecticides?

Insecticides are chemicals used to control insects by killing them or preventing them from engaging in undesirable or destructive behaviors. They are classified based on their structure and mode of action. ... A broad-range insecticide, generally the most toxic of all pesticides to vertebrates.

Did the FDA ever approve DDT?

DDT was synthesized by Austrian chemist Othmar Zeidler in 1874; its insecticidal effects were discovered in 1939 by Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Müller. During World War II it was used to fight typhus and malaria, and in 1945 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it for public insecticide use.

Are mosquitoes resistant to DDT?

A single genetic mutation causes resistance to DDT and pyrethroids (an insecticide class used in mosquito nets), according to new research in the journal Genome Biology.

Is DDT legal?

The general use of the pesticide DDT will no longer be legal in the United States after today, ending nearly three decades of application during which time the once-popular chemical was used to control insect pests on crop and forest lands, around homes and gardens, and for industrial and commercial purposes.

What products contain pyrethroids?

These include permethrin (Biomist®), resmethrin (Scourge®) and sumithrin (Anvil®). Pyrethroids are found in many commercial products used to control insects, including household insecticides, pet sprays and shampoos.

Does sunlight breakdown DDT?

Once in the environment, DDT in the air is rapidly broken down by sunlight. ... It takes 2-15 years for half of the DDT in the soil to break down, depending on the type of soil. DDT and its breakdown products DDD and DDE do not dissolve eaisly in water, so very little goes through the soil into groundwater.

What diseases does DDT cause?

Studies have indicated indoor spraying of DDT causes high levels of human exposure [16]. The direct DDT exposure toxic effects in humans include developmental abnormalities [17], reproductive disease [18], neurological disease [19], and cancer [20].

Is DDT biodegradable?

DDT is harm to all biota of the planet as it is non-biodegradable, and tends to become more concentrated as it moves up the food chain. It is a fat-soluble chemical, and accumulates in the fat deposits of the body.