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Ddt
Level 5 — High concernIn Winter's Dictionary
Ddt is a pesticide residue — Synthetic pesticide
Also: Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane
What it does
Synthetic pesticide
Where you'll see it
Food imported to U.S. (residues); malaria control programs
What the research says
Carson's Silent Spring suggested DDT may cause cancer and is threat to wildlife. DDT and DDE chemically similar enough to estrogens to trigger hormonal responses affecting fertility.
Regulatory status
- Notes: Banned for agricultural use worldwide under Stockholm Convention; limited use in insect-borne disease control continues
Sources
- A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives (Winter): DDT and its breakdown product DDE, like other organochlorines, have been shown to be chemically similar enough to estrogens to trigger hormonal responses