DDT 1944 US Navy

In this military training film, the use of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) as an insecticide and larvicide is explained. The first sample of DDT was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Division of Insects Affecting Man and Animals in November 1942 for evaluation. It was found to be effective in small quantities when mixed with fuel oil and spread over a large area. DDT affects the nervous systems and motor coordination of insects. The proper ways to handle pure DDT concentrate in powder form, to mix the powder with fuel oil, and to mix the powder with a dry medium (flour, road dust, etc.) are shown. The most efficient methods of spraying DDT in solution or powder are illustrated by malaria control teams in an abandoned native village and in military barracks, in mess halls, on screening and garbage cans, in a bivouac area, in the interior of an airplane, on a man's hair and beard, in a food storage area, on a pond, and in standing water. DDT is a pesticide once widely used to control insects in agriculture and insects that carry diseases such as malaria. DDT is a white, crystalline solid with no odor or taste. Its use in the U.S. was banned in 1972 because of damage to wildlife, but is still used in some countries. DDT affects the nervous system. People who accidentally swallowed large amounts of DDT became excitable and had tremors and seizures. These effects went away after the exposure stopped. In animals, short-term exposure to large amounts of DDT in food affected the nervous system, while long-term exposure to smaller amounts affected the liver. Also in animals, short-term oral exposure to small amounts of DDT or its breakdown products may also have harmful effects on reproduction. Studies in animals given DDT with the food have shown that DDT can cause liver cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) determined that DDT may reasonable be anticipated to be a human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined that DDT may possibly cause cancer in humans. The EPA determined that DDT, DDE, and DDD are probable human carcinogens. For more on the health hazards of DDT, go the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/TP.asp?id=81&tid=20 . This film is marked by an exuberant technological optimism: DDT would usher in a new era in which disease would be eradicated.

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