Silent Spring benefits

Despite the social and economic benefits of these compounds, problems developed because some of these compounds, once released, did not degrade in the environment. Because of their environmental persistence, some of these compounds have had unintended consequences for example, DDT caused egg shell thinning and thus affected the reproduction of certain types of birds. This problem was brought to the public s attention by the famous book Silent Spring Perhaps as a result, many of these early pesticides are no longer on the... 

However, Silent Spring , Rachel Carson s challenge to the perceived abuse of synthetic pesticides, published in 1962, initiated the a movement toward strict agrochemical regulation and the far more rigorous assessment of risks and benefits from pesticide use. 

In conclusion, our exposure pattern to pesticides is significantly different than before the appearance of Silent Spring. We do not use chlorinated hydrocarbons any longer, and our only exposure to them is as very low residues in primarily certain animal products, not on produce. We do not spray them on crops. Only a few percent of the produce consumed by Americans contain minute amount of pesticides. It is time that people appreciate the real risks and leave DDT to the historians. Yet from another perspective, we must remember both sides of the DDT issue when we design realistic regulations for the next century. Benefits must be a factor, especially when deciding to remove an existing compound from the market. What are the consequences ... 

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