Can some answer these questions about DDT for me ASAP?

Question

What is DDT?
How does DDT effect our ecosystem?
What is being done about DDT?
What else can we do about it?

I need answers as soon as possible. This is for an assignment that is due tomorrow and I can't seem to find enough information.

Ok i pretty much have all the answers now. The only one I still need is WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Answer 1

Check this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT

Answer 2

DDT is a pesticide used on crops. To illustrate that conservation measures are effective, consider the past plight of pelicans. In the previous century, DDT easily entered various food chains after being used to control mosquitos and other insect pest worldwide. Unfortunately, the presence of DDT in their food caused the eggs of birds to be extremely thin and easily crushed by incubating parents. Therefore, the size of bird populations, including those of pelicans, declined dramatically. The Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT in the United States in 1972, and since then the pelican populations have recovered nicely. Even so, DDT lingers and is still found in every body of water on Earth and in the tissue of organisms, including humans.

Answer 3

DDT is dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane and was used as a pesticide for many years until is was banned worldwide (but still used in mosquito prone 3rd world countries). The toxicity is due to the structure of DDT- it is hydrophobic and prefers fats and nonpolar solvents over polar environments like water (meaning we store it in our body fat instead of peeing it out like we do vitamin C). It affects the neural pathways in insects- creating spasms and death and has been linked to fish kills, bird deaths and destroying the balance of ecosystems.
It was banned worldwide but is still being used in countries where mosquitos are a major health concern (carriers of malaria).
What can we do about it? Create better insecticides, study the effects on ecosystems, more research on the compound. It all boils down to more science and better science.

Answer 4

DDT is persistent in the environment. Only time will "do anything" about it.

DDT has been banned throughout the US, Europe, and many other parts of the world. Governments are free to ban/unban DDT use. There is nothing left to do about it.