Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

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Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (pronounced: dye-kloro-dye-fenyl-tri-kloro-ethane), commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochlorine, originally developed as an insecticide in the 1940s.

Etymology

The term "Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane" is derived from the chemical structure of the compound. It has two chlorine atoms (dichloro), two phenyl groups (diphenyl), and three chlorine atoms (trichloro) attached to an ethane molecule.

Usage

DDT has been used for insect control in crop and livestock production, institutions, homes, and gardens. DDT's insecticidal action was discovered by the Swiss chemist Müller in 1939. It was used with great effect to combat malaria, typhus, and the other insect-borne human diseases among both military and civilian populations.

Health Effects

Exposure to DDT may affect the nervous system causing excitability, tremors, and seizures. Long-term exposure to DDT can lead to reproductive and endocrine damage. It is classified as a possible human carcinogen.

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