DDT and the Insect Problem

Page from a volume dedicated to summarizing the various uses, chemistry, pharmacology, history, and methods of using DDT. DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) was developed as a synthetic insecticide in the 1940s. It was initially used to combat malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne diseases. The EPA banned DDT in 1972 after research showed harmful impacts to wildlife and potential human health risks.