Biodegradable analogues of DDT.

Despite the immense utility of DDT for vector control its usefulness is prejudiced by its stability in the environment and by the low rate at which it can be degraded biologically. Metabolic studies in insects, in mice, and in a model ecosystem with several food chains have shown that DDT analogues with substituent groups readily attacked by multifunction oxidases undergo a substantial degree of biological degradation and do not appear to be stored readily in animal tissues or concentrated in food chains. Detailed metabolic pathways have been worked out and it is clear that comparative biochemistry can be used to develop DDT analogues that are adequately persistent yet biodegradable. A number of new DDT analogues have been evaluated for insecticidal activity against flies and mosquitos and for their potential usefulness as safe, persistent, and biodegradable insecticides.