Landon Zimmerman
Toby Allanson
English 111
10/28/2024
Silent Spring
DDT (Short for Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloro-Methane) (EPA, n.d.) was a pesticide and
treatment for diseases such as malaria (and other diseases spread by insects). However, it has
since been banned in by the EPA; “The cancellation decision culminated three years of intensive
governmental inquiries into the uses of DDT…continued massive use of DDT posed
unacceptable risks to the environment and potential harm to human health.” (EPA, n.d.). This,
though, is hardly the whole story. Many found the decision by the EPA to be a horrendous idea,
claiming that DDT was entirely harmless to both human life and the environment as a whole, and
could’ve potentially eradicated diseases such as Malaria worldwide. Many have blamed marine
biologist Rachel Carson, who in her novel “Silent Spring”, (Carson, 1962) in which Rachel
claims that among other substances, DDT causes damage to the environment and reduced the
numbers of certain species in wildlife. The book picked up steam quickly, and the EPA
themselves have stated that the book was the main reason concern about DDT spreaded in the
U.S. (EPA, n.d.). While those opposed to the EPA’s decision certainly have fair arguments, they
miss key factors that miss the most impactful effects of the pesticide.
Dangers, Real and Imagined
To put it bluntly, DDT has not been proven to effect humans in a majorly negative way.
In a toxicological profile done by the National Library of Medicine, (NIH, n.d.) no consistent
evidence was found between DDT and the following:
-Death
-Cancer
-Cardiovascular Issues (Such as heart disease)
-Long-Term Neurological issues (Sush as Alzheimer’s)
-Reproductive Effects
-Etc.
Being safe for humans is one thing, however an arguably bigger concern is the effect of
DDT on the environment and wildlife. Unfortunately, DDT has been shown to harm both rather
substantially. In the information sheet provided by the NPIC (National Pesticide Information
Center) (NPIC, n.d.), one can find that the half-life for DDT in the environment has a half-life of
as little as two years to as long fifteen years; meaning on average, it would take over thirty-seven
years for any applied DDT to fully disappear from where it was applied. This would be trifling
information, if it were not for the horrific effect it has on birds.
In the 1950’s after an area in Michigan was sprayed down with the infamous pesticide to
control Elm Disease found in beetles at the time, the Robin within said area was effectively
reduced to nothing. It was found that earthworms were absolving DDT post-spraying, which lead
to any Robin that ate a worm would become poisoned and likely die. And yet, somehow, the
pesticide caused even worse fates for many other species of bird, such as the Bald Eagle and
Brown Pelican. When they consumed DDT, it led to a phenomenon known as shell thinning,
which was a birth defect that caused eggs too thin to support the embryo inside, thus making the
infected bird incapable of reproduction. (Ehlrich, 1988)
Overstated Benefits
Many proponents of DDT mention that it was used as an effective pesticide and used for
treating Malaria (Which ironically enough, Rachel mentioned in Silent Spring) (Carson, Elixers
of Death, 1962). Both of these (especially the latter) are both very beneficial uses; however, both
are rather overblown. On the former, DDT slowly but surely lost its effectiveness as a pesticide,
as insects gained resistance to it over time. (Kupferschmidt, 2016) As for the latter, at least in the
U.S, malaria has effectively been eradicated, with less then one hundred reported cases per year
on average. Meanwhile, in Africa, where malaria cases are higher, DDT is still used as a
treatment; which while it’s effective, its far from fully eradicating it worldwide. In short, at least
in the U.S, the negatives far outweigh the positives when it comes to DDT.
In Conclusion…
Rachel was indeed correct on the harm DDT can and has caused; DDT should remain
banned in the U.S as it harms wildlife and is no longer nearly as much of a positive impact as it
once did.
Bibliography
Carson, R. (1962). Elixers of Death. In R. Carson, Silent Spring (pp. 20-20).
Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring.
Ehlrich, P. (1988). Retrieved from
[Link]
EPA. (n.d.). Retrieved from [Link]
Kupferschmidt, K. (2016, October 13th). Retrieved from
[Link]
NIH. (n.d.). Retrieved from [Link]
NPIC. (n.d.). Retrieved from [Link]