re: #33 alexknyc

That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought of that before but the immunity issue makes perfect sense.

Does limiting the use of DDT like that significantly reduce the environmental damage?

Yes, absolutely. It’s concentration of DDT in the environment that matters. The bad thing about DDT is it tends to cycle through the system— so fish eat it, which are then eaten by birds, who die and are eaten by carrion birds, who’s excrement is eaten by fish, etc. So repeated use in environment will build up DDT presence over time.

Better alternatives are being developed, but I strongly feel that DDT spraying— with prior testing to determine that the mosquito population is not heavily resistant— is an important tool in the anti-malaria arsenal.

Using it for agriculture is simply indefensible, since it increases the mosquito’s resistance.