DDT Linked to Health Problems in New Research

Pregnant Women at Risk for Premature Birth

A new research report shows health problems linked to the long-banned insecticide DDT have re-emerged decades after world governments outlawed the chemical following concerns it was harmful to people and animals. Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) was first introduced in 1940. It was widely used in agriculture until it was banned in the United States in 1972 and internationally during the 1970s.

Evidence Mounts

Laboratory studies, including one by Cohn in 2019, have shown that DDT and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can lead to adverse health effects. A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to DDT and its breakdown product DDE can cause a range of health problems. Pregnant women exposed to DDT are much more likely to give birth prematurely or to have low birth-weight babies.

Other health problems linked to DDT exposure include:

• Developmental delays
• Immune system disorders
• Cancer