DDT - Anita

•  DDT stands for Dichloro - Diphenyl - Trichloro - Ethene. DDT is an insecticide used control insect borne diseases. Though it is banned for use in the United States, DDT is still used in other tropical region countries to prevent the disease the disease Malaria, a mosquito borne disease.
• During the World War II era, DDT was thought to be "a savior for mankind." The chemicals in the spray proved to kill diseases such as Typhus and Malaria. DDT was popular because of its cheapness, availability and so - called safety. Farmers also sprayed this chemical on their plants.
• After discovering that house flys were immune to DDT, several scientists became skeptical about the safety of DDT. Two scientists then published an article about the hazardous effects on animals and plants. 
• The end of DDT's reign in the US was due to Rachel Carson's book, Silent Springs, in which the author states effects of DDT upon wildlife. She says that DDT has reduced the population of birds of prey, such as eagles. The DDT caused the eagle eggshells to become thin. These eggs rarely survived to hatch. So, the eagle population plummeted. 
•  As a result to Rachel Carson's findings along with support from the scientific community, DDT was banned in the US and will only be used if there is ever a unusual public health issue, such as a sudden widespread outbreak of Malaria.