More than a century after its first synthesis in 1874, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane — better known as DDT — remains a chemical of global controversy. Once hailed as a miracle insecticide after Swiss scientist Paul Hermann Müller discovered its potent effects in 1939, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, DDT’s reputation has since shifted due to its harmful environmental impact.
The United States banned DDT for agricultural use in 1972, following strong scientific evidence linking it to wildlife decline and ecological damage. The international Stockholm Convention later imposed a global ban on DDT as an agricultural pesticide, though exemptions were made for disease control, particularly against malaria and bubonic plague.
By 2007, as China ceased its DDT production, only two nations continued to manufacture the chemical: India and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). That year, India produced a staggering 6,344 tonnes, far surpassing North Korea’s 5 tonnes, cementing its status as the world’s largest DDT producer.
While India defends its production as essential for public health efforts, particularly in malaria-prone regions, environmentalists continue to call for alternatives and stricter controls. As the world moves toward more sustainable pest control methods, the future of DDT production remains a focal point in the global conversation on balancing health priorities with environmental protection.
