The continued high rate of environmental degradation is a cause of concern for all humanity as it puts everyone at risk. Most of the pollutants causing harm are also often useful to man in other ways, which makes the balance between their continued use, and banning them, an intricate affair. One such pollutant is DDT ( Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane ), which is a pesticide used for agricultural purposes. In the past, DDT was a central component in farming activities, until scientists discovered the negative impact the pesticide had on the environment. Despite the pesticide being banned in the United States since 1972 (CDC, 2009), there are still countries that use it, to the disadvantage of the environment and all its inhabitants. This paper will discuss DDT as a pollutant, highlighting its impacts and mitigation processes.
DDT is a chemical agent gotten through chemical synthesis processes. It was first synthesized in 1874 by a German student (Thuy, 2015), but it did not find any use until decades later, in 1939, when the scientist Paul Muller discovered that the chemical could be used as an insecticide/pesticide (Fisher et al., 2003). This pollutant does not occur naturally, but is entirely made through chemical processes. However, since it can be stored within animal bodies and plants as well, with increased bio-accumulation of DDT, these animals and plants may become sources (CDC, 2009: Fisher et al., 2003: Thuy, 2015).
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