No matter where you live or when you were born, you almost surely have at least a
small amount of DDT stored in the fatty tissues of your body. Why? This
notorious toxic pesticide, which led to the extinction of the American bald eagle in
1970s, has long been banned in the U.S. and most other developed countries.
But according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, DDT
is still used in many developing nations, mainly because it’s so effective in
controlling mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite.
The persistence of DDT is a problem—and not just in the countries that use it.
DDT and several other common chlorine-containing pesticides are sturdy
molecules that can stay intact for decades. They evaporate into the atmosphere
and are blown by the wind all over the globe. They condense and fall to the
ground in cold weather, especially in higher altitudes. Some of the highest
concentrations of DDT are found in polar bears, penguins and the Inuit people of
northern Canada.
No matter where you live or when you were born, you almost surely have at least asmall amount of DDT stored in the fatty tissues of your body. Why? Thisnotorious toxic pesticide, which led to the extinction of the American bald eagle in1970s, has long been banned in the U.S. and most other developed countries.But according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, DDTis still used in many developing nations, mainly because it’s so effective incontrolling mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite.The persistence of DDT is a problem—and not just in the countries that use it.DDT and several other common chlorine-containing pesticides are sturdymolecules that can stay intact for decades. They evaporate into the atmosphereand are blown by the wind all over the globe. They condense and fall to theground in cold weather, especially in higher altitudes. Some of the highestconcentrations of DDT are found in polar bears, penguins and the Inuit people ofnorthern Canada.
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