Presentation I made about the chemical DDT.

1. DDT
Matthew Spicuzza

2. Outline
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is DDT?
Structure of DDT
Rachel Carson
Dangers of DDT
MOA
How DDT “helped”
Conclusions
Questions

3. What is DDT?
• In 1948 Paul Mueller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine
• DDT is a pesticide
• Persistent Organic Pollutant

4. Structure of DDT
• Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

6. Rachel Carson
• Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring

7. DDT
• DDD
– 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis[p-chlorophenyl] ethane
• DDE
– Dichlorodiphenyldichlolorethylene
– a degradation of DDT
– also dangerous to environment
7

8. Dangers of DDT
• Bioaccumulation
• POP
• Birds are major target species

9. MOA in Birds
• Inhibits Ca-dependent ATPases
• Egg shell thinning
• Increased risk of damage to eggs

10. Birds affected by DDT
• Osprey
• Brown Pelican
• Raptor

11. How DDT “helped”
• Boomerang Paradigm
• Increased awareness of ecotoxicity

12. Conclusions
• In conclusion, DDT is an insecticide that was used heavily from
the late 1930’s to the early 1970’s
• Throughout this time there were several populations of birds
that declined rapidly
• DDT has been one of the most widely influential pesticides to
help gain the attention of the impact we have on the
environment.

13. References
• Casarett, Louis J., John Doull, and Curtis D. Klaassen. "Chapter
29/Ecotoxicology." Casarett and Doull's Toxicology: The Basic
Science of Poisons. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 1176-177.
Print.
• Michael, C. Newman. Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology, Third
EditionMichael C. Newman. Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology,
Third Edi: CRC, 2009. Print.
• "DDT - A Brief History and Status | Pesticides | US EPA." EPA.
Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/ddt-briefhistory-status.htm>.
• Dr. Baer’s power points from clinical toxicology
• Google images

14. Questions?