1. Megan Strickfaden, Eric Birnbaum, Jose Uranga
DDT
Megan Strickfaden, Eric Birnbaum, Jose Uranga

2. What is DDT
DDT, which is short for Dichloro- Diphenal-Trichloroethane, is a synthetic insecticide which belongs to a group of halogen compounds. It is tasteless, almost odorless, and known for its incredibly toxic effects on the environment.

3. Historical background
DDT was developed in the 1940’s, it was one of the first synthetic insecticides and was first used to combat insect borne illnesses such as Malaria and Typhus. The chemical moved on to help with pest control on livestock as well as crops, unfortunately, the wide use of DDT led to insect resistance against the chemicals. In the 1970’s more research was done into the chemicals and the effect it was having on the environment. The results were not good.

4. Effects on Avian, Fish, Mammals, and Reptiles
Eggshells of avian species affected decreased by 18-26% due to the lack of calcium caused by the chemicals.
Most male avians became sterile. Sperm became unviable due to the chemicals.
Some species affected include Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and Ospreys
Much of this was due to the chemicals on bugs that the birds eat, and in the waters many of the birds frequented as a source of food and water.
During rainfall, the chemicals from the crop fields wash into water sources, contaminating the habitat for fish and reptiles.
In infected ponds 5 ft or less, 43%of the fish and reptile population was dead or deformed.

5. Wildlife Dangers Continued
Mammals got infected by drinking contaminated waters, eating other contaminated animals, or eating contaminated crops, having deformed offspring and sickness.

6. Human
While DDT can, and still is, used to combat malaria, effects have shown themselves to affect pregnant women, causing premature birth as well as low weight in the newborns. Premature births are among the highest in terms of infant mortality and can also be passed on to the infant through breast milk.Over exposure to DDT can also lead to symptoms such as seizures and vomiting. DDT is also been related to breast cancer in women who were exposed to it in the womb.

7. DDT and ZIKA
It has been mentioned that DDT could be a useful weapon against the ZIKA virus, and while a comeback is not expected in the united states, in other countries that are more threatened by mosquito born diseases DDT is already being used and/or considered to be used to combat. DDT has been proven to be effective in killing off the mosquitos that carry ZIKA for now but there is concern that DDT will negatively affect the surrounding wildlife.

8. Long term effects
DDT is continuing to affect the acidity in soil and certain waters which contain traces of the toxic chemicals. This affects the land available to grow crops, and the lives of the animals around it for generations to come.

9. Conclusion
DDT is a harmful chemical, it affects many components of the natural world, including the soil, water, and the wildlife around it. The negative effects it has on the environment is not worth it, along with the effect is has on wildlife, it also makes pests more resistant to pesticides. DDT should be permanently banned and more research should be done into more natural pesticides.

10. Works Cited
“DDT-A Brief History and Status.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 05 Dec, 2016
United States Department of the Interior, Clarence Cotter, and Elmer Higgins. “DDT Its Effects on Fish and Wildlife.”
CDC Environmental Health “Dichlorodiphenyltrichlorothane (DDT)” Nov. 2009
“Zika Virus; is DDT an Option?” CNN, Cable News Network,
“Hereditary Cancer.” XRAYS: Prenatal Exposure to the Pesticide DDT and Breast Cancer Risk, FORCE, risk?gclid=CjwKEAiAg5_CBRDo4o6e4o3NtG0SJAB- IatYpM0cEVupcQTfBx3AJMTHyOGjfJskJbf4MaaJMlnUdhoC5uvw_wcB