| DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) is one pesticide | | | | The same bird also eats a fish from a nearby creek; |
| that has been unquestionably labeled hazardous to our | | | | one that contains runoff from the farmer's crops, and |
| health. It has been linked to cancer and is actually | | | | unfortunately DDT. Now all the DDT from the fish is |
| banned from all use in America now. | | | | also stored within the bird. The bird is caught and eaten |
| DDT was widely used in the 1960's. It's all-time peak | | | | by a female human. All the DDT from the plant, the |
| came in 1963 when 61 million pounds of DDT were | | | | rodent, bird and fish is stored in her fatty tissue. The |
| sprayed across the U.S. The first major opposition to | | | | woman has a baby and one of the mother's first gifts |
| the spraying of DDT came with Rachel Carson's | | | | to it is a portion of her DDT. Throughout the son or |
| well-known book, "Silent Spring" in 1962. By 1968, many | | | | daughter's life, even more DDT will accumulate as he |
| states had decided to ban the use of the pesticide. By | | | | or she continues to ingest contaminated foods. Since it |
| 1972, the government had banned all use of it in the | | | | is a carcinogen, the individual may have a greater |
| U.S. | | | | chance of developing cancer. |
| Today, the U.S. does not produce or supply DDT. | | | | Remember, DDT is extremely persistent so even |
| Other regions of the world like Africa, Central and | | | | though we don't spray it now, it was sprayed all over |
| South America still spray DDT and compounds | | | | the country for about three decades and is definitely |
| derived from it to help control diseases spread by | | | | still around. |
| insects, such as malaria. Since some of our food is | | | | DDT is not the only pesticide that causes problems. |
| imported from countries still using the pesticide, the | | | | Several others are made from compounds that are |
| FDA monitors imported foods for traces of DDT and | | | | derived from it and are known to be carcinogic as well. |
| other hazardous substances. | | | | Examples of these are malathion and diazinon. Both |
| Just what's so bad about DDT? | | | | are highly toxic. Fortunately, they break down very |
| If a farmer sprays DDT on his crops, eventually, a | | | | quickly in the environment to form nontoxic |
| rodent eats one of the DDT covered plants. The DDT | | | | compounds. Carbamates are another group of |
| is then stored in the fatty tissues of the rodent. Maybe | | | | pesticides which are presumably not-carcinogenic, but |
| a bird catches and eats the rodent. The DDT comes | | | | still pose dangers to our health. |
| with the package and is stored in the fat of the bird. | | | | |