Global trends in the production and use of DDT for control of malaria and other vector-borne diseases

Abstract

BackgroundDDT was among the initial persistent organic pollutants listed under the Stockholm Convention and continues to be used for control of malaria and other vector-borne diseases in accordance with its provisions on acceptable purposes. Trends in the production and use of DDT were evaluated over the period 2001–2014.ResultsAvailable data on global production of DDT showed a 32% decline over the reporting period, from 5144 to 3491 metric tons of active ingredient p.a. Similarly, global use of DDT, for control of malaria and leishmaniasis, showed a 30% decline over the period 2001–2014, from 5388 metric tons p.a. to 3772 metric tons p.a. India has been by far the largest producer and user of DDT. In some countries, DDT is used in response to the development of resistance in malaria vectors against pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides. Some other countries have stopped using DDT, in compliance to the Convention, or in response to DDT resistance in malaria vectors. Progress has been made in establishing or amending national legal measures on DDT, with the majority of countries reportedly having measures in place that prohibit, or restrict, the production, import, export and use of DDT. Limitations in achieving the objectives of the Stockholm Convention with regard to DDT include major shortcomings in periodic reporting by Parties to the Stockholm Convention, and deficiencies in reporting to the DDT Register.ConclusionGlobal production and global use of DDT have shown a modest decline since the adoption of the Stockholm Convention.

Occurrence and Toxicological Risk Evaluation of Organochlorine Pesticides from Suburban Soils of Kenya

“…The second component, with a variance of 26.7%, showed loading scores of p,p′-DDT, and o,p′-DDT while the third component with a variation of 17.7% showed loading scores of δ-HCH, p,p′-DDE, and p,p′-DDD. In Africa, malaria remains an epidemic, and as a result, DDT, despite being discontinued for other uses, is still being used for the control of malaria [44]. The application of DDT pesticides in malaria control can, therefore, be ascertained to be a significant source of DDTs in this study [21].…”

Prediagnostic blood levels of organochlorines and risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma in three prospective cohorts in China and Singapore

“…Whereas use of DDT was officially banned in the U.S. and Norway in the early 1970s, its use for agricultural activities in China continued until the early 1980s and China continued to produce DDT for export through 2007. 34 In Singapore, general population exposure to DDT may have resulted from the importing of contaminated food, 35 including from Malaysia, which did not ban DDT until 1999. Risk of NHL in relation to total DDT or individual DDT metabolites has been evaluated in multiple prospective cohorts in Western populations.…”

The uptake modeling of DDT and its degradation products (o,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDE) from soil

“…It has been stated that China was responsible for 20% of the total global production of DDT between 1950 and1983 [11,17,33]. DDT was banned in the United States in the early 1970s, and 10 years later DDT was also banned in Turkey,however, DDT has been used in sub-Saharan Africa until recently [22,27,29]. Further, a study showed that commercially available Dicofol, an acaricide, formulations could contain 14.3% of the total DDT and its degradation product, which could suggest that DDT contamination could also occur from Dicofol application [27].…”