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DDT Full form

Full form of DDT

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane is the full form of DDT. In the field of agriculture, it is used as an insecticide. In 1972, the United States has banned the use of DDT; however, the compound has been used by the some nations. DDT was often used to prevent lice in the past. It is also used to control mosquitoes that transmit malaria outside the United States. DDT and related chemicals survive in the atmosphere and animal tissues for long periods.

History of DDT

  • It was first synthesized in 1874 and was used to suppress malaria as well as typhus among civilians & troops.
  • It was used most commonly as a spray.
  • Issues regarding the harmful effects of DDT on the atmosphere and living things were posed in the early 1970s.
  • The United States 1973, The Agency for Environmental Protection, banned the use of DDT in the U.S.

Structure of DDT and its operation

  1. C14H9Cl5 is the DDT molecular formula. It is strongly hydrophobic, not water-soluble, and is soluble in most organic solvents like fats and oils.
  2. It is naturally formed by a chloral (CCl3CHO) interaction with the chlorobenzene (C6H5Cl) in the presence of a sulphuric acid catalyst (H2SO4).
  3. If the plants are sprayed with the DDT, the insects living on the crops are exposed to it. It damages the nerves of the bug, that leads to death eventually.

Effect of DDT

  • DDT is a hazardous material, and it contributes to various diseases in humans.
  • Breast cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer and tumor
  • DDT is a highly toxic and harmful chemical for many species, including mammals, birds, fish, etc.
  • In some bird species, the thinning of eggshells and low reproductive rate are responsible for creating egg breakage and embryo dies.