DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), Chemical formula (C14H9Cl5), was well known as a kind of Organochlorine insecticides. It is a colorless crystalline substance. As a kind of Organochlorine insecticides, DDT kills insects by opening sodium ion channels in insects' neurons, causing the neurons to fire spontaneously. This leads to death of insects. Insects with certain mutations in their sodium channel gene may be resistant to DDT and other similar insecticides. DDT was first found by Othmar Zeidler in 1874. However, it’s insecticidal abilities were not found until 1939 by Paul Muller who received the 1948 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine for his 1939 discovery of insecticidal qualities and use of DDT in the control of vector diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. DDT can affect almost every single types of insects, during WW2, DDT has been playing a very important role by not only increased the amount of the
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DDT has been largely being sprayed for a long term. DDT became the most common pesticide used on crops in the United States in a very short period of time. From 1950 -1980 it is estimated that 1.8 million tons of DDT was produced. The average usage of DDT until its ban in 1972 was approximately 600,000 tons/year. However, in the 1960s, scientists began to notice that DDT could cause damage to wildlife especially to the birds and also had the potential to harm human health (leading to cancer). That led to the international attention to the disadvantage of using DDT and gathered t awareness of the long-term effects of other pesticides and industrial chemicals. It has been banned in 1972 for 30 years and was back for preventing Dengue and yellow fever in 2002. Is DDT harmful or benefit to our human society? Was our choice of banning DDT right? How should we treat DDT? LET’S find out more in the essay
DDT has been largely being sprayed for a long term. DDT became the most common pesticide used on crops in the United States in a very short period of time. From 1950 -1980 it is estimated that 1.8 million tons of DDT was produced. The average usage of DDT until its ban in 1972 was approximately 600,000 tons/year. However, in the 1960s, scientists began to notice that DDT could cause damage to wildlife especially to the birds and also had the potential to harm human health (leading to cancer). That led to the international attention to the disadvantage of using DDT and gathered t awareness of the long-term effects of other pesticides and industrial chemicals. It has been banned in 1972 for 30 years and was back for preventing Dengue and yellow fever in 2002. Is DDT harmful or benefit to our human society? Was our choice of banning DDT right? How should we treat DDT? LET’S find out more in the essay