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Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane usage in the former Soviet Union.
Y F Li1, A V Zhulidov, R D Robarts
1Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3H 5T4. yi-fan.li@ec.gc.ca
The Science of the Total Environment
|August 30, 2005
Summary
DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) usage in the Former Soviet Union was intensive from the 1950s to the 1990s, despite an official ban. Total usage estimates range from 250 to 520 kilotons.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Chemistry
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) targeted by the Stockholm Convention.
- Understanding historical usage patterns is crucial for POPs management and remediation efforts.
Observation:
- Historical DDT usage in the Former Soviet Union (FSU) was extensive, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Despite an official ban in 1969/1970, DDT use persisted until the early 1990s.
- Data from various sources show discrepancies but confirm intensive application periods.
Findings:
- Estimated total DDT usage in the FSU between 1946 and 1990 ranges from 250 to 520 kilotons (kt).
- Gridded inventories reveal significant regional variations in DDT application, concentrated in southern agricultural areas.
- High usage areas include Moldova, Ukraine, the Northern Caucasus, and Central Asian republics.
Implications:
- These findings highlight the long-term environmental burden of DDT in the FSU.
- Identifying high-usage regions is critical for targeted environmental monitoring and risk assessment.
- Historical usage data informs strategies for mitigating the impact of legacy POPs contamination.