DDT (DICHLORODIPHENYLTRICHLOROETHANE)

A colorless odorless water-insoluble crystalline insecticide C14H9Cl5 that tends to accumulate in ecosystems and has toxic effects on many vertebrates. DDT was used extensively prior to 1972 at which time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned its production and distribution. Although banned from usage for a number of years, the inert nature of such toxic chemicals and their low biodegradability (15-year half-life) allow them to exist in soils, river sediment, and plants and animals for many years.