LOCAL NEWS
for CE
Wisconsin’s Role in Banning DDT
By Alan Cruz
The discovery of DDT led to its quick success as a pesticide; however, this successful scientific advancement came with unintended consequences.
In the 1940s, the synthetic pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) proved to be effective as the military used this chemical to treat malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne human illnesses. It was also successful in controlling insects in agriculture and animal production, as well as in institutions, houses, and gardens. In Wisconsin, the pesticide was sprayed on trees in the city of Milwaukee to combat Dutch elm disease. Due to its affordability and effectiveness, there was widespread use of DDT in the United States. As a result, over two million pounds of the pesticide were produced every month by the mid-1940s.
The long-term effects of DDT were not yet fully understood, and for years the negative environmental impacts were overlooked. In fact, the chemical appeared to be such a promising product that the chemist who discovered DDT was awarded a Nobel Prize in medicine. It wasn’t until a few years later that several environmentalists and scientists began to call out the toxicological effects of broad DDT usage in the country.
People who were concerned by the chemical’s effects discovered that because it remained in the environment for a long time, DDT was able to accumulate in the fat cells of animals and humans. Surprisingly, Wisconsin became a focal point of the DDT issue as more individuals advocated for its ban.
In 1968, one of Wisconsin’s first conservation organizations, the Citizens Natural Resources Association, requested a ruling from the Department of Natural Resources on whether DDT constituted a water contaminant. This was done through a clause in Wisconsin law that allows any organized group of citizens to request that a state agency rule judgment on legal issues. The hearings occurred from December 1968 to April 1969 and allowed the environmental organization to present its case. Not only did these hearings set an environmental precedent in Wisconsin, but also in the entire country; the Wisconsin DDT hearings were covered in newspapers throughout the nation.
Arguments against DDT were delivered logically and persuasively. For example, DDT had been linked to the decline of numerous bird species, according to wildlife biologists. Predators at the top of the food chain accumulated lethal amounts of DDT in their bodies since the prey they fed on also had DDT in their systems. To further support their claims, professors from the University of Wisconsin were invited by the CNRA to explain how DDT accumulates in the environment and affects the food chain. Additionally, it was argued that the chemical was capable of wiping out massive bird populations since DDT caused bird eggs to develop a thin shell. The CNRA’s arguments became difficult to refute.
Hearings were held until the middle of January 1969, when they were suspended to give DDT's manufacturers time to draft a statement. When the hearing was reopened in April, it became obvious that the chemical manufactures had not conducted adequate research to prove that DDT was safe for the environment. As a result, DDT was ruled to be a water pollutant.
The Citizens Natural Resources Association pushed hard to fight for environmental rights and showed reliance throughout the whole legal process. States around the country quickly began to take action in prohibiting the use of DDT. This marked a major win and milestone for the environment, the CNRA, and the people involved as it further promoted environmental activism in the years to come.
[Source: Wisconsin History Highlights]
The discovery of DDT led to its quick success as a pesticide; however, this successful scientific advancement came with unintended consequences.
In the 1940s, the synthetic pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) proved to be effective as the military used this chemical to treat malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne human illnesses. It was also successful in controlling insects in agriculture and animal production, as well as in institutions, houses, and gardens. In Wisconsin, the pesticide was sprayed on trees in the city of Milwaukee to combat Dutch elm disease. Due to its affordability and effectiveness, there was widespread use of DDT in the United States. As a result, over two million pounds of the pesticide were produced every month by the mid-1940s.
The long-term effects of DDT were not yet fully understood, and for years the negative environmental impacts were overlooked. In fact, the chemical appeared to be such a promising product that the chemist who discovered DDT was awarded a Nobel Prize in medicine. It wasn’t until a few years later that several environmentalists and scientists began to call out the toxicological effects of broad DDT usage in the country.
People who were concerned by the chemical’s effects discovered that because it remained in the environment for a long time, DDT was able to accumulate in the fat cells of animals and humans. Surprisingly, Wisconsin became a focal point of the DDT issue as more individuals advocated for its ban.
In 1968, one of Wisconsin’s first conservation organizations, the Citizens Natural Resources Association, requested a ruling from the Department of Natural Resources on whether DDT constituted a water contaminant. This was done through a clause in Wisconsin law that allows any organized group of citizens to request that a state agency rule judgment on legal issues. The hearings occurred from December 1968 to April 1969 and allowed the environmental organization to present its case. Not only did these hearings set an environmental precedent in Wisconsin, but also in the entire country; the Wisconsin DDT hearings were covered in newspapers throughout the nation.
Arguments against DDT were delivered logically and persuasively. For example, DDT had been linked to the decline of numerous bird species, according to wildlife biologists. Predators at the top of the food chain accumulated lethal amounts of DDT in their bodies since the prey they fed on also had DDT in their systems. To further support their claims, professors from the University of Wisconsin were invited by the CNRA to explain how DDT accumulates in the environment and affects the food chain. Additionally, it was argued that the chemical was capable of wiping out massive bird populations since DDT caused bird eggs to develop a thin shell. The CNRA’s arguments became difficult to refute.
Hearings were held until the middle of January 1969, when they were suspended to give DDT's manufacturers time to draft a statement. When the hearing was reopened in April, it became obvious that the chemical manufactures had not conducted adequate research to prove that DDT was safe for the environment. As a result, DDT was ruled to be a water pollutant.
The Citizens Natural Resources Association pushed hard to fight for environmental rights and showed reliance throughout the whole legal process. States around the country quickly began to take action in prohibiting the use of DDT. This marked a major win and milestone for the environment, the CNRA, and the people involved as it further promoted environmental activism in the years to come.
[Source: Wisconsin History Highlights]
