Continued Use of DDT Is a Global Health Concern
Scholars who attended the Eugene Kenaga International DDT Conference
on Health and the Environment at Alma College are drafting a consensus
statement urging global policymakers to reconsider the future use of
the synthetic pesticide DDT.
The scholars acknowledge that the use of DDT has prevented millions of
infections and deaths from insect-borne diseases, especially malaria.
Yet, substantial exposure to DDT poses serious health risks for human
populations and the environment, says Edward Lorenz, director of the
Public Affairs Institute at Alma College.
“The consensus of the scholars was a recognition of the serious
impediments to further restricting DDT use, given that several million
people die each year from malaria, most of whom are under the age of
five,” says Lorenz. “However, these scholars have documented in
numerous human health studies what can be called a ‘deepening
understanding of the effects of DDT use on humans.’ The
collective wisdom of the experts at the Kenaga Conference was that
world policymakers need to use extreme caution when considering easing
restrictions on DDT use.”
The
March 14 conference attracted international experts in the areas of
public health and the environment, including South African scholars
Riana Bornman, Henk Bouwman and Christiaan de Jager; Aimin Chen of
Creighton University; Barbara Cohn and Brenda Eskenazi of the
University of California at Berkeley; Henry Anderson of the Wisconsin
Division of Public Health; Suzanne Snedeker of Cornell University;
Diane Henshel of Indiana University; Darwin Stapleton of the
Rockefeller Archives; Lorenz and John Leipzig of Alma College; and
Felicia Leipzig of the Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force.
The anticipated DDT conference “consensus statement” is expected to
list the following summary statements and recommendations, says Lorenz:
• Repeated use of DDT results in serious health risks for humans.
• Many sites of chemical-manufacturing facilities continue to be a
source of DDT contamination to area residents. While clean-up efforts
continue, some DDT proponents, such as John Tierney (New York Times,
June 5, 2007), have claimed that, “the billions spent cleaning up
Superfund sites would be better spent on more serious dangers.”
“The experts at the DDT Conference unanimously disagree with Tierney’s
assessment,” says Lorenz. “Because of the known DDT impacts on human
health, the experts not only support continued Superfund clean up, but
also endorse assessment of health impacts on residents of communities
with DDT sites, such as St. Louis, Mich.”
• Children and pregnant women in malaria endemic areas where DDT is used are most at risk.
• Studies have shown that DDT impedes breast milk production, the best
source of infant nutrition in many parts of the world.
“Because of the negative impacts on breastfeeding, resulting in more
low birth weight babies, communities potentially exposed to DDT to
control malaria must be told that the short-term benefits of DDT may
spawn longer-term problems,” says Felicia Leipzig.
• New methods of malaria control should be encouraged and tested.
“Those who are lobbying for DDT use should focus on support for
research into alternative chemicals and public health strategies that
ultimately will allow for the full phase-out of DDT,” says John
Leipzig, director of Alma’s Center for Responsible Leadership.
• The socio-economic development of malaria-affected communities is the best solution to malaria eradication.
• Conference experts call for “full support for the Stockholm
Convention that will phase out the use of the 12 most dangerous
persistent organic pollutants, including DDT,” says Lorenz.
“The Stockholm Convention mandates that each country using DDT have an
implementation and management plan on controlling the use of DDT,” he
says. “Ultimately it envisions eventual reliance on sustainable methods
of disease vector control.”
The scholars argue that sufficient evidence exists that DDT exposure is occurring and posing significant health risks.
“Because of both DDT related Superfund sites and continued use of DDT,
exposure to the pesticide is occurring around the world with
significant health risks to current and future generations,” says
Lorenz.
“The conference experts are challenging policy makers to provide
support to further determine health risks associated with DDT exposure
in both the developing world and in U.S. communities near contaminated
Superfund sites,” he says. “The experts were especially critical of
special interests groups and their lobbyists who negate the clear
evidence of human health dangers of DDT exposure.”
Posted: Wed, June 11th, 2008 at 10:16AM
