DDT- A problem essays

DDT- A problem essays The controversial use of DDT has been common place in the late 19th to early 20th century. As many pesticides started, their costs were overlooked by the out-weighing benefits. DDT has both advantages and disadvantages that cohere to its history. The advantages being that of controlling malaria and other insect causing diseases. Meanwhile, the disadvantages are that of harming animal populations, specifically the marine community and birds. Not to mention causing cancer in humans. The history behind DDT is rather prevalent. It was discovered in the late 19th century, but dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDT) insecticidal property wasnt discovered until 1948. The credit for this discovery was given to Paul Muller when he received a Nobel Prize in medicine for his findings on DDT. As stated earlier, it was used to controlled malaria and other tropical-disease outbreaks all over the world. It was cheap and effective. Little did people know that it was a cancer-causing agent in the making. It worked like a charm for many farmers that used it haphazardly on their crop. In and around the 1960s, Health officials started to notice harmful effects directly related to the use of DDT. In some fish, it had the capability of converting a male fish into a female that would later bear viable young. In humans, it hindered the immune system, particularly in babies because of their weak immune systems when born. The way humans got infect was by direct and indirect means. The direct way was the immediate handling of the pesticide. On the other hand, the indirect way could be classed as a type of synergy. This by which the DDT was sprayed over a crop, rain runoff would spill into a body of water containing DDT, within this process a worm ultimately got infected by it, then a fish ate the worm continuing the infection. Soon afterward a human would eat the fish and become infected as well. DDT was finally ba ...