Assessing the Risks and Benefits of Chemicals

Assessing the Risks and Benefits of Chemicals

The water you drink, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, and all the rest of the materials you depend on consist of chemicals. Many of these chemicals are beneficial or even, in the case of nutrients, essential to maintain our lives. However, some chemicals are hazardous if used incorrectly or in large quantities over a long period of time. For some chemicals, the risk is so significant that it out weighs any potential usefulness.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the pesticide DDT was widely used to control agricultural pests and prevent diseases, such as malaria, that are transmitted by insects. DDT is a broad-spectrum insecticide that kills more organisms than its target pests. DDT is hazardous because it is slow to degrade and persists in the environment for many months. Since 1963, when Rachel Carson first publicized the risks to the environment from DDT, its use has been restricted. In mo...