Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

Why is DDT a Problem?

As stated before, DDT is insoluble in water, but soluble in fats. Therefore, it doesn’t dissolve when farmers water their plants, or when it rains; it dissolves when it contacts the fats of creatures.

The Heath Issues

The problem is that DDT can poison any creature: not just of the pests. If humans consume a substantial amount of DDT over time, they could suffer anywhere from mild to serves liver, kidney, or Central Nervous System damage. 

Another problem is that DDT could leak out and contaminate nearby drinking water sources, lakes, rivers, or even oceans.  If DDT gets into nearby drinking water sources, the water people drink will be contaminated with unhealthy levels of DDT, and therefore many will develop health issues.

If DDT gets into oceans, it will be like an oil spill, since oil and DDT have a lot in common. Both are insoluble in water, but soluble in fats. If DDT leaked in the ocean, sea creatures will come in contact with it. Since it doesn’t wash off easily, it will stick on to the skin of the creatures. Over time, the creature will consume it, and they will be poisoned. Then, creatures that rely on the contaminated animals will also become poisoned. As this continues, the creatures at the top of the food chain will have the largest accumulation, as well as the highest concentration, of DDT. Such a leakage could potentially poison a lot of animals, on land and on sea. Finally, since humans are at the top, we should be more concerned about the side effects of using DDT.

The Ethical Issues

This is an ethical issue, since we are knowingly paralysing animals, or causing them to develop convulsions. In other words, we are basically killing them in slow, painful ways. Sometimes, the animals killed aren’t the ones we intended to kill, so they suffer needlessly, just because we want the foods we eat it be top quality. The question here is, “Is it fair?” However, this is a very controversial question, with many different opinions.