Soil pollution
Environmental Chemistry · Chemistry
Study notes
Why was DDT banned despite killing malaria mosquitoes effectively? Step 1: DDT is persistent (doesn't degrade) and fat-soluble. Step 2: Biomagnification: plankton → fish → birds — concentration multiplies up the chain. Step 3: Top predators (eagles) got thin eggshells — populations crashed. Step 4: Effective pesticide, ecological disaster — persistence punishes!