Air and Water

DDT became a household name in the 1960s, when Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’ drew national attention to the impact the pesticide had on breeding birds. The EPA banned its use in 1972 and affected wildlife, such as bald eagles and pelicans, have made a remarkable recovery.

Recently, there have been calls from the international community—most notably the World Health Organization—to revisit using DDT to combat mosquito-borne disease. Malaria claims almost a million lives each year, with losses concentrated in the world’s poorest countries. Dengue, encephalitis, and yellow fever are also concerns.

DDT is inexpensive and good at killing mosquitoes. But let’s remember, it was banned in developed nations because it has been linked to serious health concerns, including breast cancer, diabetes, reproductive impairment, and neurological damage in children. Spraying it in homes and near living areas is a risky proposition.

When we release DDT to the environment, we give up control of where it goes, what it does, and how long it persists. DDT accumulates in the food chain, making top predators—like people—especially vulnerable. Residues are found in Antarctic penguins, thousands of miles away from its application. They are also found in all of us.

We need to combat mosquito-borne disease without entering into a chemical arms race that harms future generations and creates pesticide resistant insects. Instead, let’s set our brightest minds to understanding how management practices and native predators can help keep mosquito populations in check.

Photo, taken between 1945-1946, courtesy of John Tewell via Flickr.