DDT and metabolites
Toxic and persistent organochloropesticide
DDT is an effective contact and stomach insecticide which has been used widely in agriculture and forestry. The commercial product is a mixture of the isomers p,p’-DDT (ca. 77%), o,p’-DDT (ca. 15%) and the metabolites DDE (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene) und DDD (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane).
Between 1946 and 1972 it was the most widely used insecticide. It was of special importance in the fight against the tropical disease Malaria which is transmitted by the Anopheles-midge.
DDT is very persistent in the environment. It adheres to soil particles and can enter surface waters during run-off. In the atmosphere it can travel over large distances adsorbed to dust particles.
DDT accumulates in the fatty tissues of organisms and is biomagnified in the food web.
DDT is toxic to humans and animals and acts as endocrine disruptor. Moreover, there is evidence for mutagenicity and carcinogenicity.
Since the Stockholm Convention entered into force in 2004, the use of DDT is restricted to vector control.
In the Federal Republic of Germany, DDT was banned in 1972. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR) the compound was successively banned between 1971 and 1988. It was, however, more important in GDR agriculture and forestry and was still applied extensively in 1983 and 1984 to control the bark-beetle.
Search data
Substances
| p,p'-DDE | DDE is the main metabolite of DDT. It is even more persistent than the parent compound and is strongly accumulated by organisms. It is suspected to be carcinogenic, mutagenic and to act as endocrine disruptor. |
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| p,p'-DDD | DDD is a metabolite of DDT with insecticidal properties. It is suspected to be carcinogenic and to act as endocrine disruptor. |
Specimen
| Roe deer, one-year-old | The roe deer is the most common of the larger herbivores (first order-consumer) to be found in the wild in Europe. |
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| Feral pigeon | A pigeon species home in nearly every city. |
| Earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) | As an organism living at ground level, it is a major driver of the decomposition of organic material (e.g. plant litter). |
| Zebra mussel | Common mussel species as invasive animal in rivers and lakes with high information level for water pollution |
| Bream | Bioindicator in rivers and lakes |
| Blue mussel | One of the most important edible mussel species common in the North and Baltic Sea |
| Eelpout | As the only viviparous fish in German nearshore waters, it is a bioindicator in nearshore coastal marine ecosystems. |
| Herring gull | Inshore, the herring gull mainly feeds from the sea: upon fish, mussels, and crabs. |
| Suspended particulate matter | Fine insoluble mineral or organic particles in the water phase |
Sampling area
| BR/NP Berchtesgaden | The only high mountains national park in Germany and an area of the Limestone Alps with international relevance. |
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| Saarländischer Verdichtungsraum | Important, old-industrialised conurbation in Germany. |
| Bornhöveder Seengebiet | Main watershed between the North- and Baltic Sea. |
| Rhein | Longest river in Germany. |
| NP Bayerischer Wald | The Bavarian Forest National Park is Germany's first national park. |
| NP Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft | National Park in the largest brackish water (Bodden) habitat of the world. |
| BR/NP Wattenmeere | National park in the world largest connected sand and mud flats. |
| Elbe | Fourth largest river area in Central Europe. |
| Dübener Heide | Region in the chemical triangle of Central Germany. |
| NP Harz | The Harz National Park is Germany's largest forest national park. |
| Solling | Second highest and largest low mountain range in Northern Germany. |
| BR Pfälzerwald | Germany's largest connected forest area in a range of low mountains. |
| Oberbayerisches Tertiärhügelland | The Upper Bavarian Tertiary Uplands are a part of the Southern German Molasse Basin. |
| Donau | Second largest river in Europe. |
Sampling period
1985 - 2010