DDT residues in starlings, 1974

In the preceding issue of this journal, the authors suggested that the mean level of DDT plus metabolites in starlings should drop below 0.1 ppm for the 1974 collection. They based their prediction on an analysis of the relationship between mean levels of DDT and its metabolites in starlings and estimates of domestic disappearance of DDT. The present brief summarizes initial findings from the 1974 starling collection. Authors indicate that their eariler estimates for disappearance of total DDT were optimistic: the geometric mean for 1974 was 0.282, a 36 percent reduction from the 1972 mean of 0.442.