DDT Flashcards
What is DDT?
A synthetic pesticide with a controversial history.
When was DDT first used and why?
Second World War
To control - the lice that spread lice/mosquitoes that spread malaria
Which organization began a program to eradicate malaria worldwide? When did they start? What did it rely heavily on?
World Health Organization (WHO)
1955
DDT
In what parts of the world had DDT lost its effectiveness?
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Turkey
Central America
Between ___ and ___, DDT was used extensively in ______, and over _____ tonnes were used each year worldwide.
1950
1980
Farming
40,000
How many tonnes of DDT have been produced globally since the 1940s?
1.8 million
In the ___ and ___, agriculture use of DDT was ____ in most developed countries.
1970s
1980s
Banned
Where was DDT first banned? Followed by?
Hungary, 1968
Norway, 1970
US 1972
What American biologist wrote a book on how pesticides killed wildlife? What was it called?
Rachel Carson
Silent Spring
Which convention banned several POPs, and restricted the use of DDT to disease control? How many countries signed it?
The Stockholm Convention
98
What is the environmental impact of DDT?
It is not soluble in water but is very soluble in lipids (fats).
This leads to BIOACCUMULATION in fatty tissue.
What is the effect of DDT on the food chain? What process is this?
Top predators may have concentrations of a chemical several million times higher than primary producers.
BIOMAGNIFICATION
DDT is believed to be a major reason decline for what animal?
The bald eagle in North America in the 1950s
What do farmers exposed to DDT experience?
Increased incidence of asthma and/or diabetes
People exposed to DDT have a higher risk of getting?
Liver, breast and/or pancreatic cancer
