DDT, a white tasteless and almost odorless crystalline solid, is an organochlorine contact insecticide that kills by acting as a nerve poison. DDT is categorized by the WHO as Class II "moderately hazardous". DDT was first synthesized in 1874; it was first used as pesticide in 1937 and for epidemic prevention in the US Army during the Second World War (Eriksson & Talts 2000). Its insecticidal properties were first discovered by Paul Müller in 1939, and it acts on the nervous system through modulation of voltage sensitive sodium channels. This modulation is known to cause the characteristic symptom called “DDT jitters”, which can be best described as the repetitive discharge in the nerve that leads to whole body tremors as a result of increased
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There is an impasse in the scientific community on the reintroduction of DDT in countries where endemic diseases whose vectors can be eliminated by DDT are demanding its renewed use (Cox et al. 2007).
In September 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of household spraying with DDT and other insecticides for malaria control. At that time, the WHO cited many reasons for using DDT for this purpose, including that DDT has a longer action time, and thus fewer household sprayings are needed, so that it is capable of repelling mosquitoes from inside dwellings and killing those present on sprayed surfaces. One of the reasons the use of DDT for indoor residual spraying has been recommended by WHO is because of its cost effectiveness. DDT has been known as the only insecticide that can be used as single application in areas where transmission season is over 6 months (WHO …show more content…
DDT easily crosses the placenta and is found in the umbilical cord blood of neonates born to mothers exposed to this insecticide but still, there is no consistent indication that this insecticide causes malformations in offspring exposed during prenatal development (Bouwman et al. 1991).
Cons of DDT
The impact of pesticides on human health has received worldwide attention from the scientific community, especially in developing countries, where the use of these compounds has increased rapidly. Despite the benefits, the indiscriminate use of this class of substances led to serious ecological problems. It is now estimated that nearly all living beings, both plant and animal, are contaminated by organochlorine insecticides (Garabrant et al. 1992).
Concern over the use of DDT began in the 1960s, when the famous book Silent Spring by Rachel Carlson described a series of harmful effects on the environment and wildlife resulting from pesticide use. The author specifically emphasized the effect of DDT in weakening the eggshells of the American eagle (Haliaetus leucocephalus), contributing to a sharp decline in this
There is an impasse in the scientific community on the reintroduction of DDT in countries where endemic diseases whose vectors can be eliminated by DDT are demanding its renewed use (Cox et al. 2007).
In September 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of household spraying with DDT and other insecticides for malaria control. At that time, the WHO cited many reasons for using DDT for this purpose, including that DDT has a longer action time, and thus fewer household sprayings are needed, so that it is capable of repelling mosquitoes from inside dwellings and killing those present on sprayed surfaces. One of the reasons the use of DDT for indoor residual spraying has been recommended by WHO is because of its cost effectiveness. DDT has been known as the only insecticide that can be used as single application in areas where transmission season is over 6 months (WHO …show more content…
DDT easily crosses the placenta and is found in the umbilical cord blood of neonates born to mothers exposed to this insecticide but still, there is no consistent indication that this insecticide causes malformations in offspring exposed during prenatal development (Bouwman et al. 1991).
Cons of DDT
The impact of pesticides on human health has received worldwide attention from the scientific community, especially in developing countries, where the use of these compounds has increased rapidly. Despite the benefits, the indiscriminate use of this class of substances led to serious ecological problems. It is now estimated that nearly all living beings, both plant and animal, are contaminated by organochlorine insecticides (Garabrant et al. 1992).
Concern over the use of DDT began in the 1960s, when the famous book Silent Spring by Rachel Carlson described a series of harmful effects on the environment and wildlife resulting from pesticide use. The author specifically emphasized the effect of DDT in weakening the eggshells of the American eagle (Haliaetus leucocephalus), contributing to a sharp decline in this