DDT Use: Then and Now

When asked about pesticides, almost everyone is familiar with DDT.  DDT stands for dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane and was the first modern synthetic insecticide.  DDT was first discovered in the 19^th century, however it was not until the 1940s that people started to realize it was extremely effectively in killing off insects.  After WWII, people found that this product was so efficient in killing insects that it quickly spread throughout the United States.  Not only was DDT attractive to citizens of the United States, but it was also attractive to countries struggling with diseases from insects such as Malaria, Yellow Fever, and West Nile Virus.  DDT seemed like the magical product that could kill off all harmful insects that were destroying farmer’s crops etc.  This product spread like wildfire to anyone who wanted it, however it was not all good.  While DDT was killing insects and pests, it was spreading through the air and poisoning the ground.  In 1963, Charles Wurster, a chemist at Dartmouth College, conducted a study on the effects of DDT around the environment.  After conducting his study, he found that more than 150 birds had suffered from convulsions before dying, after being exposed to DDT.  Once people started to notice the environmental changes after excessive DDT use, they started to refrain from using DDT.  

Rachel Carson, a marine biologist and conservationist, wrote a ground-breaking book called Silent Spring in 1962.  Carson was aware of the terrible effects of pesticides such as DDT and wrote the book to explain the entire story and enlighten people with what was really going on.  Her book became so popular that it prompted the development of the Environmental Protection Agency.  In 1972, the EPA issued a cancellation for DDT and a ban of its use because of the environmental effects.  Currently, the EPA deals with international negotiations to control DDT use among countries. 

While DDT is banned in the United States, many countries that have problems with malaria still use the product.  The major countries that still use DDT are India, China, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Malaysia.  These countries remain using DDT because the discovered benefits outweigh the negatives for these societies.  Malaria and Yellow Fever are huge problems for the countries mentioned above. 

Even though DDT is still used in these countries, regulations are still present.  For example, in several African countries, DDT use is only allowed inside to rid of insects living in houses or buildings.  The World Health Organization (WHO) major anti-malaria campaign in 2008 relied heavily on pushing for DDT usage indoors.  Even though DDT is allowed in several countries, many people living in those countries still protest against the use.  As a result of these protests, successful malaria control programs have controlled DDT use to ensure that DDT use is healthy and safe for people to use in the present conditions.       

Source 1: http://www.panna.org/resources/ddt-story
Source 2: http://people.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/pest/pest1.html
Source 3: http://www2.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status
Source 4: http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/ddt-wars-the-long-battle-to-ban-a-bird-killing-pesticide/