The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay

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The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay

Since 1972, most of the developed countries have banned the usage of DDT and a recent Stockholm Convention strictly banned or restricted the use of DDT in around 100 countries.
DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was first synthesized in 1874 by Zeidler. Its insecticidal properties were later discovered by Paul Mueller in 1939, a chemist researching on the development of diverse chemicals to deal with agricultural insects, for a Swiss firm Giegy. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine and physiology in acknowledgment for his remarkable efforts in 1948 (Fiedler, Borja-Aburto, 2003).The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay. By the end of World War I, estimated deaths caused by typhus reached more than 5 million. This caused extensive precautionary measures to avoid epidemics during World War II and civilians and allied troops soldiers in Pacific were sprayed with DDT to combat insect vectors (mosquitoes and lice) predominantly malaria and typhus. Eventually, after the war in 1945, DDT was employed as an insecticide for public health purposes, among both military and civilian populations to eliminate insect vectors that cause diseases. Also, it was used widely to control insect pests found on agricultural crops (fruits, vegetables, and cotton), livestock production, institutions, homes, and gardens. DDT’s quick success as a pesticide led to its extensive use in the US and other developed countries a total of approximately 1,350,000,000. Considering the harmful effects of DDT, alternative methods should be developed and adapted in order to decrease human health and environmental risks. In this respect, two approaches are applied i.e. Integrated Vector Management and Integrated Pest management. In vector management, several chemical and non-chemical substitutes can be employed as an alternative to DDT. The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay.

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Malaria is fatal and is known to be the second deadliest to the HIV/AIDS pandemic among other infectious diseases. In just a period of one year, malaria infects hundreds to millions of people and is responsible for the deaths of about one million people. However, Malaria’s lethal effects can be prevented by the use of one of the persistent organic pollutants called Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane also known as DDT (Martin, 2012). As much as DDT decreases the number of deaths caused by malaria, it has detrimental effects on the environment and ecology. The use of DDT remains a controversial focus of technocentric and ecocentric views in some parts of the world even though some countries still use it for its effectiveness in combating malaria (Buckley, 1986). This essay will address the effects of DDT and why some it’s opposing may be ecocentric or technocentric. The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay.
Why is the continuous use in some parts of the world controversial?

DDT is an effective way to prevent malaria but there is a problem between its relationships to malaria that presents two possible results. When DDT is used, it produces damages to the environment as well as irreversible harm to the health of the human population. When not used malaria takes over killing millions of people, both results have a negative effect on human health (Jaga and Dharmaf,2003).

In the 1950’s a chemical DDT was being mass produced by all of the major chemical makers it was being applied to almost everything. DDt is a very effective insecticide that was initially used to combat malaria and then was applied to residential areas to help control mosquito and other insect populations. DDT was fused into paint, wood stain and sprayed over crops. The problem with the use of DDT in the 50’s was its lack of testing. Our country saw potential and ran with the idea of having mosquito free summers. It took a book, Silent Spring written by Rachel Carson, written about the harmful effects of DDT on the environment and human health. After the release of silent spring it wasn’t long before DDT was banned in the United States and then worldwide. The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay. The precautionary principle is “the precept that an action should not be taken if the consequences are uncertain and potentially dangerous” (Dictionary.com) an idea that is used to help protect the public from harm before it happens. This could have prevented the harm done by DDT if we waited and did more testing on it before releasing it and passing it off as safe (http://www2.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status.) Genetically Modified Food is starting to invade the shelves of supermarkets in foods that most people eat and love. Unfourtunately the current GMO situation appears to mirror the DDT in the 1950’s. GMOs have been tested and approved but there are conflicting studies and views. The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay.

The Human Health Effects of DDT Essay

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