Effect of DDT on the Environment

Effect of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane on the purlieuEffect of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane to This EnvironmentPesticides became a bad forebode in agriculture since mid-twentieth century. In agriculture, pesticides argon an important element to control the study vector-borne diseases such as malaria and visceral leishmaniasis. There ar 4 major groups of pesticides insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides and fungicides. Although pesticides are vital to protect the crop and in like manner human wellness in the whole world, hardly due to their detrimental effects on natural ecosystems more(prenominal) deaths are ca substance ab consumption by the pesticide poisoning than pathogenic diseases. Hence, we should focus more on the short and long term harms of pesticides on the environment. Most of the pesticides are extremely toxic and entrust have contiguous adverse effects on human health and to a fault wildlife. anyhow that, pesticides which spray on the plant at groun d go awaying behindly contaminate the soil, water and air. The chronic consequences ca hire by pesticide including neurotoxic, carcinogenic, immu nonoxic, hormonal and generative effects. One of the lastly problematic pesticides is the insecticide dichlorodiphenlytrichoroethane as well as known as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane is the scientific name of DDT and the chemical formula is C14H9Cl5. DDT is manakin up by 14 carbon, 9 hydrogen and 5 atomic number 17 atoms (Figure 1).Figure 1. Molecular structure of DDT.In its nature form, DDT is crystalline powder with odorless to slightly fragrant in white color. The melting point is at 108.5C, and boiling point at 185C. DDT is highly insoluble in water but is soluble in roughly(prenominal) organic purposents. This molecule is lipophilic and partitions readily into the fat of all alert organisms. Biomagnification and bioaccumulation in the nourishment web make this molecule b ecome more oppose impact to the organisms. When the DDT break down the product will be 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDD or TDE) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene)(DDE). These two compounds are actually also set everywhere in the environment and are more persistent than the resurrect compound (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, 1996).DDT is an organochlorine insecticide and is considered a persistent organic pollutant (POP) ( go Germany for PAN International, 2009). According to Turusov et al. (2002), in course of study 1874, DDT was first synthesized but until year 1943 its insecticidal properties just discovered and in 1943 freehanded-scale industrial production are started. DDT is contributed to worldwide use and widely accepted by volume because of its low price and potentness to control malaria and typhus during and immediately aft(prenominal) World War II. In order to control the agriculture and timber pests, much more DDT was used after 1945. About 400,000 haemorrhoid of DDTs were used yearly in this world at 1960s, and 70 80% was used for agriculture (Turusov et al., 2002). DDT is a persistent, widespread environmental contamination that causes significant anatomical, behavioral abnormalities and physiological in humans and also wildlife (Iwaniuk, et al., 2006). In January 1970, the first country Sweden had forbidden the use of DDT. In the same year, the power Union of Soviet Socialist Re humankinds (U.S.S.R) was prohibited all DDT and DDT-based products for use as pesticides because of their destruction and continuity effect by bioaccumulation and the carcinogenicity. The production and use of DDT in agriculture were criminalise too in 1981, but the use for humans health purposed was gloss over allowed. In year 1972, nearly uses of DDT were banned in some other countries. The use of DDT has been banned in 34 countries and severely certified in 34 other countries. Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Mozambique, Lebanon, Switzerland, Norway, and USA are the countries that have banned DDT. The countries that have severely restricted its use include Thailand, Israel, Panama, Kenya, Mexico, Belize, India, Ecuador and the EU (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, 1996).DDT is not very well toxic like most of the organochlorine insecticides, but this chemical is widely use and spread (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, 1996). In Turusov et al. (2001) study showed that the process of biodegradation of this chemical is very slow and it will persists for a long time in the environment. DDT will likely to accumulate in the food chain and in the tissues of alert organisms. When expose to DDT and digest it, this molecule will store in all the tissues, especially in fat. Bioaccumulation occurred by accumulate the DDT from minuscule concentration to high concentration in the food web. Due to it widespread, uncontrolled, and intensive use, this chemical has resulte d in worldwide pollution. In the body of all birds and seekes study in the study of Turusov et al. (2001), DDT residues are found even in those living in desert areas or in the depths of the oceans.Human are most likely to be exposed to DDT from the food they eat. close to all the meat, fish, and dairy products are contaminating with DDT. Hence, by eating, brea suppleg or touching the products which contaminated with DDT, this chemical will easily absorbed into our body. aft(prenominal) ingested, DDT will convert into several breakdown products called metabolites that included DDE and stored in the fatty tissues. For the pregnant women, DDT and DDE can be passed to the fetus by breast feeding (Centers for affection Control and Preventation, 2009). If human expose to high concentration of DDT, the symptoms like vomiting, tremors or shakiness, and seizures will occur. Besides that, DDT also considered a possible human carcinogen.Birds usually played a major role in creating aware ness of pollution problems. Birds are most probably believed to expose to DDT by ingestion (Enrlich, et al. 1988). The pesticide can be swallowing by the birds directly or the birds eat the contaminated prey. Besides that, they may also ingest pesticide residues off feathers while preening, or they may drink or bathe in contaminated water. When the birds expose to aerially spread DDT, the chemical will absorbed through the skin or inhaled into the body (Edwards, 2004). DDT and DDE are persistent as they tend to concentrate as they campaign through the food chain (Figure 2). In the marine communities, the contaminated planktons are eaten by lessened fishes, and then larger fishes will sweep away small fishes. DDTs are passing from a small concentration in planktons to bigger fish. DDT will store in the fatty acid of fishes, when fish-eating birds consume the fish, all the bio accumulated DDT will pass into the birds body. Most of the DDT from numerous fishes ends up in the body of fewer birds. Bioaccumulation of DDT in birds high on food chains occurs not only because there is usually reduced biomass at each graduation in those chains, but also because predatory birds tend to live a long time. DDT take in only a itsy-bitsy per day, but when they keep most of what they get and they live many long time (Deinlein, n.d.).Figure 2. Bioaccumulation of DDT.DDT with high concentration does not usually annihilate the bird outright. However, DDT and its relatives will alter the birds calcium metabolism in a way that results in thin eggshells (Edwards, 2004). Since the eggshells are too thin and are unable to support the weight of the embryo of bird, heavily DDT-infested Brown Pelicans and Bald Eagles tend to find omelets in their nests. DDT resulted in the decimation of the Brown Pelican populations in much of North America and the extermination the Peregrine Falcon in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Shell-thinning caused lesser declines in populations of Golden and Bald Eagles and White Pelicans, among others (Enrlich, et al. 1988). Fortunately, the scientists are able to material body out the cause of the breeding failures in time, and the use of DDT was banned almost completely in the US at 1972.The Arctic, charged absorbs also become one of the victims of DDT. Chemical pollutants are carried towards the Arctic Ocean by the great continental rivers of Russia and Canada. DDT that in the sea are wafted northward by the currents. Even the DDT molecule in the air will be carry by winds to the Arctic, where they condense in the cold and exit to the ground in snow or hail. The most direct and effective way to bring DDT that will cause an effect to polar bear and its offspring is biomagnification. DDTs are biomagnify as they move up the food chain from the small plankton to polar bear. As polar bear is the carnivores, it accumulates the most concentrated amounts of them. Before the hibernation, polar bear will consume large amount of fish to store as fat. DDT which accumulates in the fish will then store in the fatty tissues. When the polar bear start to use the fat during hibernation, DDT is being release and causes the death. In addition, DDT will also reduce the polar bear cogency to bread and lower their immune system ( opposite bears Walking on thin ice, 2006).The available epidemiologic and scientific data indicate that the presence and persistence of DDT and its metabolites worldwide are still problems of great relevance to public health. It has been debated at the United Nations Environment Program whether DDT should have been wholly banned together with 11 other persistent organic pollutants. However, the perfect ban of DDT was sharply criticized in South Africa. This is because, a temporal total ban on the use of DDT for indoor crop-dusting resulted in a sudden increase in malaria. Now, 11 countries in Africa, 7 in Asia, and 5 in Latin America still use DDT for vector disease contr ol (Turusov et al., 2002). There is a general consensus that limited and strictly controlled use of DDT should be allowed for public health purposes, in particular where other effective, safe, and affordable alternatives are not available, and the benefits are clearly far superior to possible risks. In conclusion, to solve the problem of DDT an efficient pesticides that do not have the negative properties of DDT and its metabolites should be sought with the goal of replacing DDT completely.ReferencesCenters for Disease Control and Preventation (CDC), (2009). Retrieved from http//www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/pdf/DDT_FactSheet.pdfDeinlein, M. (n.d.). Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. When it comes to pesticides, birds are sitting ducks. Retrieved from http//nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/fact_sheets/fxsht8.pdfEdwards, J. G. (2004). DDT A case study in scientific fraud. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, 9, 3, 83-88.Ehrlich, P. R., Dobkin, D. S., Wheye, D. (1988). DDT and birds. Retrieved from https//web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/DDT_and_Birds.htmlIwaniuk, A. N., Koperski, D. T., Cheng, K. M., Elliott, J. E., Smith, L. K., , Wylie, D. R. W. (2006). The effects of environmental exposure to DDT on the brain of a songbird Changes in structures associated with mating and song. Behavioural BrainResearch, 173, 1-10.Polar bears Walking on thin ice. (2006). Retrieved from http//www.independent.co.uk/environment/polar-bears-walking-on-thin-ice-523207.htmlRitter, L., Solomon, K. R., Forget, J. (1996). Persistent organic pollutants. Retrieved from http//www.chem.unep.ch/pops/ritter/en/ritteren.pdfTurusov, V., Rakitsky, V. Tomatis, L. (2002). DIchlorodiphenytrichloroethane (DDT) Ubiquity, persistence, and risks. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110, 2, 125-128.