to 81,300 t in the sixties. The world production for 1970 can be estimated as having
been 100,000 t (Goldberg 1975, 1976). There are estimates that a total of 2.8 million t were produced and used up to the year 1974.
In the meantime, the use of DDT has been prohibited or very severely restricted in
many countries - in 1972 in the U.S.A., for example.
The DDT problem was never serious in the Federal Republic of Germany because
DDT represented only 3% of the products used in insecticides. In the developing
countries, however, it is generally believed that the widespread use of DDT cannot be
given up because to date no other product can compete with DDT as far as effectiveness, relative safety for humans and animals, as well as manufacturing costs are concerned. For this reason, the DDT problem continues to be acute.
In 1969, the U.S.A. produced a total of 63,400 t of DDT and exported more than
half of this figure. Over 60% of this export figure was used not in agriculture, but to
combat malaria-transferring mosquitoes. From the amount that was used in agriculture, 70% was sprayed on cotton plantations.
If effective combating of mosquitoes is contemplated in the Third World, approximately 47,000 t of DDT will be needed annually in the coming years, a little more
than the 42,000 t that were used for this purpose in 1970 (Goldberg 1975, 1976).
If greater amounts of cotton are to be planted, tropical agriculture will need 69,000 t
of DDT per annum for this purpose. These estimated amounts, like all projections,
may be questionable, but they show that a continued use of DDT has to be counted
with in about the same amounts as to date, the difference being that the point of
main use is moving to the tropical zones.
Along with DDT, a whole arsenal of additional insecticides of the chlorinated hydrocarbon group has been developed (Fig. 85): aldrin (5900 t produced in the U.S.A.
in 1972, forbidden in 1974; used since 1974 in the Federal Republic of Germany
only in small quantities, 0.5 t/year against wine pests, 20 t/year against tropical
wood-eating insects, now forbidden to be used), dieldrin (HEOD; 270 t produced in
the U.S.A. in 1970; occurs in the environment as aldrin, prohibited in 1974); chlordan (9100 t produced in the U.S.A. in 1972; use prohibited in 1976); heptachlor
(3600 t produced in the U.S.A. in 1970, use prohibited in 1976); endrin; and methoxychlor (National Academy of Sciences 1975a). Gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane
(gamma-HCH, in older papers sometimes called also benzenehexachloride, BHC)
is commercially available as insecticide with the name lindan. Alpha- and beta-HCH
are isomers that result as waste products. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is applied
as a fungicide; it is, however, also a waste product in the production of other chlorinated hydrocarbons, is contained in EDC-tar, results from incineration and chlorine
fabrication. Toxaphene (polychlorocamphene, PCC) is a mixture of around 200 different polychlorinated camphenes (35,000 t produced in 1972 in the U.S.A.; now
forbidden to be used in the Federal Republic of Germany). It is mainly used to combat termites; rather high concentrations have been found in marine fish (Zell and
Ballschmitter 1980). Mirex is mainly used in the southern U.S.A. to combat ants.
Mirex has been found, as an environmental pollutant, in areas far from those in
which it was used (Zitko 1976). In all, the total world production of chlorinated
hydrocarbon pesticides for the year 1970 may have been around 200,000 t to
300,000 t.
167
been 100,000 t (Goldberg 1975, 1976). There are estimates that a total of 2.8 million t were produced and used up to the year 1974.
In the meantime, the use of DDT has been prohibited or very severely restricted in
many countries - in 1972 in the U.S.A., for example.
The DDT problem was never serious in the Federal Republic of Germany because
DDT represented only 3% of the products used in insecticides. In the developing
countries, however, it is generally believed that the widespread use of DDT cannot be
given up because to date no other product can compete with DDT as far as effectiveness, relative safety for humans and animals, as well as manufacturing costs are concerned. For this reason, the DDT problem continues to be acute.
In 1969, the U.S.A. produced a total of 63,400 t of DDT and exported more than
half of this figure. Over 60% of this export figure was used not in agriculture, but to
combat malaria-transferring mosquitoes. From the amount that was used in agriculture, 70% was sprayed on cotton plantations.
If effective combating of mosquitoes is contemplated in the Third World, approximately 47,000 t of DDT will be needed annually in the coming years, a little more
than the 42,000 t that were used for this purpose in 1970 (Goldberg 1975, 1976).
If greater amounts of cotton are to be planted, tropical agriculture will need 69,000 t
of DDT per annum for this purpose. These estimated amounts, like all projections,
may be questionable, but they show that a continued use of DDT has to be counted
with in about the same amounts as to date, the difference being that the point of
main use is moving to the tropical zones.
Along with DDT, a whole arsenal of additional insecticides of the chlorinated hydrocarbon group has been developed (Fig. 85): aldrin (5900 t produced in the U.S.A.
in 1972, forbidden in 1974; used since 1974 in the Federal Republic of Germany
only in small quantities, 0.5 t/year against wine pests, 20 t/year against tropical
wood-eating insects, now forbidden to be used), dieldrin (HEOD; 270 t produced in
the U.S.A. in 1970; occurs in the environment as aldrin, prohibited in 1974); chlordan (9100 t produced in the U.S.A. in 1972; use prohibited in 1976); heptachlor
(3600 t produced in the U.S.A. in 1970, use prohibited in 1976); endrin; and methoxychlor (National Academy of Sciences 1975a). Gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane
(gamma-HCH, in older papers sometimes called also benzenehexachloride, BHC)
is commercially available as insecticide with the name lindan. Alpha- and beta-HCH
are isomers that result as waste products. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is applied
as a fungicide; it is, however, also a waste product in the production of other chlorinated hydrocarbons, is contained in EDC-tar, results from incineration and chlorine
fabrication. Toxaphene (polychlorocamphene, PCC) is a mixture of around 200 different polychlorinated camphenes (35,000 t produced in 1972 in the U.S.A.; now
forbidden to be used in the Federal Republic of Germany). It is mainly used to combat termites; rather high concentrations have been found in marine fish (Zell and
Ballschmitter 1980). Mirex is mainly used in the southern U.S.A. to combat ants.
Mirex has been found, as an environmental pollutant, in areas far from those in
which it was used (Zitko 1976). In all, the total world production of chlorinated
hydrocarbon pesticides for the year 1970 may have been around 200,000 t to
300,000 t.
167