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Krótki kurs historii POP. Część pierwsza : DDT

Mastalerz P.

Wiadomości Chemiczne

2003

[Z] 57, 7-8

671--775

Since the discovery of its marvellous insecticidal properties by Paul Mueller in 1939, DDT continues to stir human minds and to inspire countless scientists to study DDT effects on living creatures, from bacteria and insects to humans. There is probably no other chemical compounds which was studied as extensively and thoroughly as DDT and which provoked so many discussions and contradictory opinions. DDT was prized as the most useful compound which saved millions from unnecessary death due to malaria but was also condemned as a deadly poison threatening the life on Earth. It is important to know where is the truth. This article was inspired by the fact that the voices of condemnation prevail in popular and scientific literature and, in the consequence, most people believe that DDT is harmful and its banning was prudent. However, the truth is quite different but it is deeply buried and difficult to find in the multitude of publications dealing with the biological properties of DDT. The problem is more difficult because of the fact that the oldest and most fundamental papers on biological activity of DDT are now forgotten and are never quoted in recent literature. My purpose is to remedy that situation by giving an unbiased picture of the good and bad sides of DDT such as emerges from a thorough search of the literature. In this article I provide evidence that the ban of DDT was a very serious mistake and that DDT continues to serve the mankind in its fight against malaria, in disregard of all bans and condemnations. Nobody seems to remember now that after the ban in 1970s the temporary retreat from using DDT against mosquitoes killed several hundred million people which unnecessarily died of malaria. It appears that DDT ban stands out as the biggest homicidal act in all history of mankind. Responsibility is of course with politicians who voted for the ban and the scientists who advised them to do so. There are still other reasons why it was necessary to write this article. My purpose is not to vindicate DDT but to expose the multitude of false opinions about that insecticide. Thus, it is not true that DDT is cancerogenic in humans or that its hormonal properties threaten our survival, as prophesized by authors of some recent books. It is also not true that DDT was ever a serious hazard for fish and wildlife. DDT never threatened hawks and eagles or pelicans and the countless papers which say otherwise are simply wrong. I provide plenty of published evidence in support of my efforts to rectify mistakes and deliberate lies which are so common in the literature on biological efffects of DDT. Unfortunately my litereature search revealed that in several cases the public was deliberately misled by scientists, who helped with their publications to spread false opinions about DDT. This provokes severe doubts concerning the integrity of ecologically minded scientists.