Word: ddt
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...efforts to control anopheles mosquitoes have been more or less abandoned. Part of the problem was the realization that malaria could never be completely eradicated from tropical regions the way it had been in the U.S. and other countries in temperate zones. There was also a growing backlash against DDT, a pesticide that is highly effective at attacking mosquitoes but whose indiscriminate use in agriculture killed many fish, beneficial insects and birds. Although only small amounts of DDT are needed to control malaria--usually in indoor-spraying campaigns--its toxic reputation made cash-strapped governments in Africa, which often must...
...more controversial but nonetheless effective method of reducing transmission is to spray DDT inside huts and other buildings. Intriguingly, DDT is often better at repelling mosquitoes than killing them. This requires much less pesticide than was once sprayed on crops and swamps. Indeed, if DDT had been used only for medicinal purposes, it might never have acquired its toxic reputation. An international antipesticide treaty that took effect last May makes an exception for the use of DDT in malarial areas, but some health experts are worried that the bureaucratic headache of applying for an exemption will limit the effectiveness...
Sales of fish-oil supplements have boomed as evidence of the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids has mounted. But how safe are those supplements? The same pollutants that contaminate fish--including mercury, dioxins, DDT and PCBs--can also contaminate the fish oils made from them. The latest troubling news: a study finding that levels of a flame retardant are rising in samples of cod-liver...
...sells in pet shops for $1.20. "They're clean, they're cute and I love the sound they make," explains a proud local pest owner. Besides hissing, they also sizzle. Last week, Bangkok health authorities seized more than 200 of the roaches from pet shops, doused them with DDT and chucked them into a waste incinerator. Madagascar cockroaches were banned in Thailand last year, deemed a threat to national biosecurity. "They are an alien species that could damage the country's ecological system," explains Ampon Kittiampon of Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Pet owners have lost a friend...
...want to talk about potential risks. "No one in the industry doubts that nanotech is the most powerful tool we've ever had," he says. "But it's mad that we're charging ahead without any debate. People are nervous because scientists have made a lot of mistakes - DDT, CFCS, thalidomide. A mistake with nanotechnology could be very much more serious than anything we've seen before." Shand and Goldsmith have a point. As Time reported two weeks ago, ETC Group's paper included a review of available health research on nanoparticles. After studying the findings, Vyvyan Howard, pathology professor...