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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