How Toxic is DDT?

[anthrax]

Very, of course!
carcinogenic and other dangerous effect

That's the common perception about DDT but there are a lot of people who claim that DDT is not the lethal chemical it is said to be and does more good than harm

Do you guys know what is true, what is environmentalist BS and what is propaganda?

 

[PICK3]

that's a myth bro, it's ok to drink

 

[Creepusmaximus]

The main problem with DDT,it was making the birds have weak eggs so it was killing off a lot of birds by making their eggs to soft to hatch. At least that's how I remember it. I don't think it was toxic to people. It's still used in the third world, very effective in killing bugs on farmland.

 

[musclemom]

Shits totally harmless

A review article in The Lancet concludes:

Although DDT is generally not toxic to human beings and was banned mainly for ecological reasons, subsequent research has shown that exposure to DDT at amounts that would be needed in malaria control might cause preterm birth and early weaning, abrogating the benefit of reducing infant mortality from malaria. ... DDT might be useful in controlling malaria, but the evidence of its adverse effects on human health needs appropriate research on whether it achieves a favourable balance of risk versus benefit.

Although acute toxic effects are scarce, toxicological evidence shows endocrine-disrupting properties; human data also indicate possible disruption in semen quality, menstruation, gestational length, and duration of lactation. The research focus on human reproduction and development seems to be appropriate. DDT could be an effective public-health intervention that is cheap, longlasting, and effective. However, various toxic-effects that would be difficult to detect without specific study might exist and could result in substantial morbidity or mortality. Responsible use of DDT should include research programmes that would detect the most plausible forms of toxic effects as well as the documentation of benefits attributable specifically to DDT. Although this viewpoint amounts to a platitude if applied to malaria research in Africa, the research question here could be sufficiently focused and compelling, so that governments and funding agencies recognise the need to include research on all infant mortality when DDT is to be used.

A recent study conducted by the University of California Berkeley suggests children who have been exposed to DDT while in the womb have a greater chance to experience development problems.

 

[anthrax]

It's not that easy

I've never seen any peer reviewed study on the toxicity of DDT

There are assumptions ("might be" something)

See: http://www.junkscience.com/ddtfaq.htm (#17, #19, #26 etc)

 

[Razorguns]

dnp is better

 

[ireekofawesomeness]

ask some of jake the snakes opponents, the DDT is deadly

 

[p0ink]

ok, what has been responsible for more deaths? DDT or malaria?

malaria kills more people than AIDS worldwide, and it could easily be prevented by spraying DDT, if it weren't for all these environmental whackos.

 

[anthrax]

ok, what has been responsible for more deaths? DDT or malaria?

malaria kills more people than AIDS worldwide, and it could easily be prevented by spraying DDT, if it weren't for all these environmental whackos.

Precisely
It's scary to see that because of political agenda such substance is banned while some serious shit is still largely used

 

[gjohnson5]

ok, what has been responsible for more deaths? DDT or malaria?

malaria kills more people than AIDS worldwide, and it could easily be prevented by spraying DDT, if it weren't for all these environmental whackos.

I totally disagree. You kill the moquitoes w/DDT and any animal that eats moquitoes goes with it. We've destroyed our enviornment to where humans are dying now