1,000 pounds of DDT collected in Washington

Apr 30, 2015

Collection was part of Earth Day celebrations

As part of Earth Day celebrations in Washington, the state’s Department of Agriculture collected about 25,000 pounds of unwanted insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides – more than 1,000 pounds of the collection was DDT.

DDT, which stands for Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, is a pesticide that’s been banned since 1972 because of its dangers to the environment and wildlife. In its heyday however, it was seen as a sort of miracle product because it eliminated many different kinds of bugs – including mosquitoes that can carry malaria.

“Farmers should regularly look in their storage sheds and barns for any pesticides they no longer use or want and contact WSDA to arrange for them to be disposed,” Joe Hoffman, WSDA’s waste pesticide coordinator, said. “Proper disposal prevents future problems such as leaks that may contaminate the soil and drinking water or accidental exposure to these old products by people or animals. Some of these old pesticides are highly toxic and you do not want to wait for an accident to happen.”

During the collection efforts, the Washington State Department of Agriculture brought in their 3 millionth pound of pesticides since the efforts began in 1988.

There are some who think DDT should be used in certain situations.

Last year, Matthew Green, a city councillor in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, said the provincial government should consider repealing their 40-year ban and allow DDT to be used for controlling bed bugs if there’s evidence to support that it actually can.

A field is sprayed.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.