DDT and It's Impact on the Food Chain

DDT and It's Impact on the Food Chain

In 1960 in Indonesia, the ecosystem was thriving. There were many bugs, geckos, and cats. There was a healthy food chain.

However, because it was a tropical climate, there were many mosquitos. Mosquitos carry a deadly disease called malaria. Malaria causes significant harm or death to humans.

Indonesians decided to spray a pesticide called DDT. DDT is neurotoxin that destroys the insect's nervous system, killing the pest. DDT was sprayed around the island and on the roofs of homes to remove bugs.

After the DDT was sprayed, the bugs began to slow down. This is because DDT is not fat soluble, meaning it resides in the tissue of the bugs. When other animals eat bugs, the DDT remains in the predator's bodies as well.

Eventually, the geckos began to slow down. This is because they were exposed to the DDT in the bodies of the roaches and consumed many roaches, so the DDT was magnified as it increased up the food chain. The cats hunt and ate the geckos.

Because of the incredibly lethal dose of DDT the cats ingested, the cats all died on the island. They received an above lethal dose of DDT which led to their death just a few days after being exposed.

Because there were so few cats left, there were many rats on the island.

Indonesian people realized their need for cats, so they asked the British Royal Air Force to bring cats. They responded by parachuting cats onto the island, reducing the rat problem.

Twelve years later, DDT was banned because it is a carcinogen, an endocrine disruptor, and a neurotoxin. New pesticides were developed.