Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane (DDT). Colorless and crystalline compound, with properties soluble in fats and in organic solvents, although insoluble in water. Despite having been synthesized in 1874, its spectacular insecticidal properties (it was defined as “miraculous compound”, given its effects) were not discovered until 1939, coinciding with the start of World War II, where it was successfully used to combat typhus , malaria and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and other insects, both among the troops and among the civilian population.
Summary
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- 1 definition
- 1 Rachel Carson’s complaint
- 2 People exposed to DDT
- 3 DDT and health
- 4 Toxicity
- 5 DDT and the environment
- 2 Reference
- 3 Sources
Definition
DDT (Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane) or more accurately 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) -ethane, of formula (ClC6H4) 2CH (CCl3) is a major organochlorine compound of insecticides . It is colorless and crystalline. It is very soluble in fats and organic solvents, and practically insoluble in water . Its molecular weight is 354 g / mol.
Rachel Carson’s complaint
The book Silent Spring (1962), Rachel Carson explained the ecological dangers derived from the use of DDT. Carson ventured that if the insecticide continued to be used, all the birds in the world would disappear. With the help of other scientific personalities, Rachel Carson warned of the danger of irreversible contamination of food, as the compound accumulated in the food chains.
Once Carson’s studies were ratified by other biologists and scientists, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the use of DDT in 1972. Its ban was extended to other countries (the first to adopt its ban were Norway and Sweden; USA, already in the eighty European countries such as the United Kingdom). However, in countries like India its use has not been prohibited.
Despite having the ruling of a judge ratifying the dangerousness of DDT as it is a “potentially carcinogenic to man” substance, the then EPA administrator, William Ruckelshaus, dismissed the lawyer’s opinion and decided to allow some uses of the compound . However, given popular pressure: DDT was removed from the list of authorized substances in plant protection and pest control. Currently, the production, use and sale of all plant protection products containing DDT is prohibited.
People exposed to DDT
People are probably exposed to DDT through food, including meat, fish, and dairy products. DDT can be absorbed by eating, breathing, or touching products contaminated with DDT. In the body, DDT is converted to various degradable products called metabolites, including the metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE). DDT and DDE are stored in the fatty tissues of the body. In pregnant women, DDT and DDE can be passed to the fetus . Both chemicals have been found in breast milk, resulting in an exposure for nursing babies.
DDT and health
The effects of low-level environmental exposures of DDT on human health are unknown. After exposure to high doses, human symptoms may include vomiting, tremor or instability, and seizures. Laboratory animal studies show effects on the liver and reproduction . DDT is considered a possible human carcinogen.
The production, use and marketing of all plant protection products containing DDT is currently prohibited. DDT is designated as a CFP chemical.
Toxicity
The effects of DDT on human health are controversial, as numerous studies present disparate results: DDT is listed as “moderately toxic” by the US National Toxicology Program.
- Chronic toxicity: DDT has been associated with neurological and psychiatric problems.
- Cancer: The EPA classified DDT as a carcinogen in 1987.
Other studies relate the use of DDT to reproductive and child development problems.
DDT and the environment
Among the adverse effects of DDT on animal health, the following stand out:
- Reproduction and development failures.
- Possible defects in the immune system and premature death of birds.
- Kidney and liver effects.
- Blocking sexual development in numerous animals, during various studies.
- Reduction of the quality and quantity of microscopic animals in phytoplankton, a fundamental pillar of the food chain in aquatic life.
- DDT has been detected in animals in the Arctic, clear evidence of its action and influence on the development of life on the planet.
