Review of DDT, by Thomas R. Dunlap

Finding	Pages in DDT	Citation(s)
Area sprayed for Dutch Elm Disease had 44 percent nesting survival, versus 71 percent in unsprayed area.	80	[12/270] H. P. Blagbrough, "Reducing Wildlife Hazards in Dutch Elm Disease Control." Journal of Forestry 5, no. 6, 468-469, cited in George J. Wallace, Walter P. Hickell[or Nickell], and Richard F. Bernard, Bird Mortality in the Dutch Elm Disease Program in Michigan, 42.
DDT and DDE in robins' brains measured up to 252 and 139ppm, with LD50 of 50ppm.	80-81	[13/270 (290)] Barker, Roy J., "Notes on Some Ecological Effects of DDT Sprayed on Elms." Journal of Wildlife Management 22, (July 1958), 269-274.
The 1957 gypsy moth campaign sprayed 3 million acres in eastern New York state and Long Island, contaminating milk and water supplies and causing significant fish kills.	86-87	[29/271 (301)] O'Dell, W. V., "The Gypsy Moth Control Program." Journal of Forestry 57 (April 1960), 271-273.
A drive to eradicate the fire ant, also in 1957, dispensed dieldrin in clay pellets instead of spot-spraying. Dunlap reports deaths of fish, birds, livestock and poultry as well as Gulf of Mexico crabs and shrimp. Several species of snakes, frogs, and lizards died off over parts of their ranges.	90-91	[37/271 (307)] Wallace, George J., "Insecticides and Birds." Audubon Magazine 61 (January-February 1959), 10.
At the Fish and Wildlife Service's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, a 1951 study on an experimental plot sprayed yearly with 2 pounds DDT per acre for five years, found a 26 percent drop in the breeding populations of birds.	90-91	[42/271 (303)] Robbins, Chandler S., Paul F. Springer and Clark G. Webster. "Effects of Five-Year DDT Application on Breeding Bird Populations." Journal of Wildlife Management 15 (April 1951), 213-216.
James Dewitt, a Patuxent biologist, followed up by feeding quail with DDT and similar pesticides. He found that 0.002 percent DDT or 0.001 percent dieldrin affected both egg hatching and the chicks that did hatch.	93-94	[43/271 (292)] Dewitt, James B. "Effects of Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Insecticides upon Quail and Pheasants." Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 3 (August 1955), 672-676. [44/272 (292)] Dewitt, James B. "Effects of Chemical Sprays on Wildlife." Audubon Magazine 60 (March-April 1958), 70-71.
Over three years (1954-57), a breeding colony of about 1,000 pairs of western grebes at California's Clear Lake died out. DDD had been used in the lake to control gnats, resulting in concentrations of about 14 to 20 ppb. Concentration of DDD occurred up the food chain: Plankton, 5.3ppm; herbivorous fish 10ppm; birds about 1,200 ppm.	94-95	[46/272 (303)] Rudd, Robert L., Pesticides and the Living Landscape Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1964, p. 252. [47/272 (303)] Eldridge G. Hunt, "Pesticide Residues in Fish and Wildlife of California." Rudd, Pesticides and the Living Landscape, 250.
Charles Broley, in 1958, documented the nesting failure of 80 percent of bald eagles along Florida's west coast. He also noted similar reports from other areas of the United States, and speculated that DDT was to blame.	96-97	[52/272 (303)] Sprunt, Alexander, IV, "Bald Eagles Aren't Producing Enough Young." Audubon Magazine 65, (January-February 1963), 32-35. [47/272 (303)] Eldridge G. Hunt, "Pesticide Residues in Fish and Wildlife of California." Rudd, Pesticides and the Living Landscape, 250.
The peregrine falcon population is normally stable. During World War 2, peregrines were shot in large numbers to protect military homing pigeons. They recovered somewhat after the war, but then began to decline due to nesting failures. Not until the 1960s did pesticides appear to be involved. The key was a 1963 paper by Derek Ratcliffe that tied the decline in Great Britain to usage of DDT. Further research soon followed, and by 1965 biologists were coordinating their research. It became clear that DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons made eggs infertile and their shells fragile.	130-134	[4/275 (302)] Ratcliffe, Derek A., "The Status of the Peregrine in Great Britain." Bird Study 10 (June 1963), 56-90. [6/275 (290)] Daniel D. Berger, Charles R. Sinclair, Jr., and Kenneth E. Gamble, "The Status of Breeding Peregrines in the Eastern United States." In Hickey, Peregrine Falcon Populations, 165-173. [9/279 (302)] Hamerstrom, Frank N., Jr., "An Ecological Appraisal of the Peregrine Decline." In Hickey, Peregrine Falcon Populations, 509-513.
In 1967, chlorinated hydrocarbons like DDT were found to promote the degradation of steroids in rats. David Peakall extended this work, showing that DDT did the same in birds: a key finding, since lower levels of steroids in the blood meant less mobilization of calcium for eggshells. Finally, researchers at Patuxent observed this effect by feeding DDT and dieldrin to American sparrowhawks.	138-9	[17/276 (296)] Larry G. Hart, Robert W. Shultice, and James R. Fouts, "Stimulatory Effects of Chlordane on Hepatic Microsomal Drug Metabolism in the Rat." Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 5, (May 1963), 371-386. [17/276 (296)] Larry G. Hart, Robert W. Shultice, and James R. Fouts, "Effects of Acute and Chronic DDT Administration on Hepatic Microsomal Drug Metabolism in the Rat." Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 114, (November 1963), 388-392. [18/278 (—)] Testimony by Lucille F. Stickel in Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "In the Matter of the Petition of the CNRA of Wisconsin, Inc. et al. for a Declaratory Ruling on DDT." 1214-1319. [19/278 (—)] Testimony by Lucille F. Stickel in Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "In the Matter of the Petition of the CNRA of Wisconsin, Inc. et al. for a Declaratory Ruling on DDT." 1214-1319.
Even at very low concentrations in water, DDT and similar compounds caused a variety of harm in fish: reproductive failure, increased mortality in fry, behavioral changes, and greater susceptibility to stress.	140-141	[22/276 (299)] Stanton J. Kleinart, Paul E. Degurse, Thomas L. Wirth, and Linda C. Hall, DDT and Dieldrin Residues Found in Wisconsin Fishes from the Survey of 1966. Wisconsin Conservation Department, 1967. [23/276 (—)] Testimonies of Kenneth J. Macek (968-1041), Robert L. Rudd (1320-1451), and Robert W. Risebrough (589-611), in Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "In the Matter of DDT."

Finding

Pages in DDT

Citation(s)

Area sprayed for Dutch Elm Disease had 44 percent nesting survival, versus 71 percent in unsprayed area.

[12/270] H. P. Blagbrough, "Reducing Wildlife Hazards in Dutch Elm Disease Control." Journal of Forestry 5, no. 6, 468-469, cited in George J. Wallace, Walter P. Hickell[or Nickell], and Richard F. Bernard, Bird Mortality in the Dutch Elm Disease Program in Michigan, 42.

DDT and DDE in robins' brains measured up to 252 and 139ppm, with LD50 of 50ppm.

80-81

[13/270 (290)] Barker, Roy J., "Notes on Some Ecological Effects of DDT Sprayed on Elms." Journal of Wildlife Management 22, (July 1958), 269-274.

The 1957 gypsy moth campaign sprayed 3 million acres in eastern New York state and Long Island, contaminating milk and water supplies and causing significant fish kills.

86-87

[29/271 (301)] O'Dell, W. V., "The Gypsy Moth Control Program." Journal of Forestry 57 (April 1960), 271-273.

A drive to eradicate the fire ant, also in 1957, dispensed dieldrin in clay pellets instead of spot-spraying. Dunlap reports deaths of fish, birds, livestock and poultry as well as Gulf of Mexico crabs and shrimp. Several species of snakes, frogs, and lizards died off over parts of their ranges.

90-91

[37/271 (307)] Wallace, George J., "Insecticides and Birds." Audubon Magazine 61 (January-February 1959), 10.

At the Fish and Wildlife Service's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, a 1951 study on an experimental plot sprayed yearly with 2 pounds DDT per acre for five years, found a 26 percent drop in the breeding populations of birds.

90-91

[42/271 (303)] Robbins, Chandler S., Paul F. Springer and Clark G. Webster. "Effects of Five-Year DDT Application on Breeding Bird Populations." Journal of Wildlife Management 15 (April 1951), 213-216.

James Dewitt, a Patuxent biologist, followed up by feeding quail with DDT and similar pesticides. He found that 0.002 percent DDT or 0.001 percent dieldrin affected both egg hatching and the chicks that did hatch.

93-94

[43/271 (292)] Dewitt, James B. "Effects of Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Insecticides upon Quail and Pheasants." Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 3 (August 1955), 672-676.

[44/272 (292)] Dewitt, James B. "Effects of Chemical Sprays on Wildlife." Audubon Magazine 60 (March-April 1958), 70-71.

Over three years (1954-57), a breeding colony of about 1,000 pairs of western grebes at California's Clear Lake died out. DDD had been used in the lake to control gnats, resulting in concentrations of about 14 to 20 ppb. Concentration of DDD occurred up the food chain: Plankton, 5.3ppm; herbivorous fish 10ppm; birds about 1,200 ppm.

94-95

[46/272 (303)] Rudd, Robert L., Pesticides and the Living Landscape Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1964, p. 252.

[47/272 (303)] Eldridge G. Hunt, "Pesticide Residues in Fish and Wildlife of California." Rudd, Pesticides and the Living Landscape, 250.

Charles Broley, in 1958, documented the nesting failure of 80 percent of bald eagles along Florida's west coast. He also noted similar reports from other areas of the United States, and speculated that DDT was to blame.

96-97

[52/272 (303)] Sprunt, Alexander, IV, "Bald Eagles Aren't Producing Enough Young." Audubon Magazine 65, (January-February 1963), 32-35.

[47/272 (303)] Eldridge G. Hunt, "Pesticide Residues in Fish and Wildlife of California." Rudd, Pesticides and the Living Landscape, 250.

The peregrine falcon population is normally stable. During World War 2, peregrines were shot in large numbers to protect military homing pigeons. They recovered somewhat after the war, but then began to decline due to nesting failures. Not until the 1960s did pesticides appear to be involved. The key was a 1963 paper by Derek Ratcliffe that tied the decline in Great Britain to usage of DDT. Further research soon followed, and by 1965 biologists were coordinating their research. It became clear that DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons made eggs infertile and their shells fragile.

130-134

[4/275 (302)] Ratcliffe, Derek A., "The Status of the Peregrine in Great Britain." Bird Study 10 (June 1963), 56-90.

[6/275 (290)] Daniel D. Berger, Charles R. Sinclair, Jr., and Kenneth E. Gamble, "The Status of Breeding Peregrines in the Eastern United States." In Hickey, Peregrine Falcon Populations, 165-173.

[9/279 (302)] Hamerstrom, Frank N., Jr., "An Ecological Appraisal of the Peregrine Decline." In Hickey, Peregrine Falcon Populations, 509-513.

In 1967, chlorinated hydrocarbons like DDT were found to promote the degradation of steroids in rats. David Peakall extended this work, showing that DDT did the same in birds: a key finding, since lower levels of steroids in the blood meant less mobilization of calcium for eggshells. Finally, researchers at Patuxent observed this effect by feeding DDT and dieldrin to American sparrowhawks.

138-9

[17/276 (296)] Larry G. Hart, Robert W. Shultice, and James R. Fouts, "Stimulatory Effects of Chlordane on Hepatic Microsomal Drug Metabolism in the Rat." Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 5, (May 1963), 371-386.

[17/276 (296)] Larry G. Hart, Robert W. Shultice, and James R. Fouts, "Effects of Acute and Chronic DDT Administration on Hepatic Microsomal Drug Metabolism in the Rat." Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 114, (November 1963), 388-392.

[18/278 (—)] Testimony by Lucille F. Stickel in Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "In the Matter of the Petition of the CNRA of Wisconsin, Inc. et al. for a Declaratory Ruling on DDT." 1214-1319.

[19/278 (—)] Testimony by Lucille F. Stickel in Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "In the Matter of the Petition of the CNRA of Wisconsin, Inc. et al. for a Declaratory Ruling on DDT." 1214-1319.

Even at very low concentrations in water, DDT and similar compounds caused a variety of harm in fish: reproductive failure, increased mortality in fry, behavioral changes, and greater susceptibility to stress.

140-141

[22/276 (299)] Stanton J. Kleinart, Paul E. Degurse, Thomas L. Wirth, and Linda C. Hall, DDT and Dieldrin Residues Found in Wisconsin Fishes from the Survey of 1966. Wisconsin Conservation Department, 1967.

[23/276 (—)] Testimonies of Kenneth J. Macek (968-1041), Robert L. Rudd (1320-1451), and Robert W. Risebrough (589-611), in Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "In the Matter of DDT."

DDT Scientists, Citizens, and Public Policy Thomas R. Dunlap Princeton: Princeton University Press, June 1981				Rating: 5.0 High
ISBN-13 978-0-691-04680-8
ISBN 0-691-04680-8	318pp.	HC/GSI	$25.95

DDT

Reviewed 6/28/2012