Some Canadian lakes still store DDT in their mud
Sediment samples show the dangerous pesticide and its by-products have a long life
Five decades after DDT was last sprayed across Canadian forests, this harmful pesticide can still be found at the bottom of several lakes.
Researchers analyzed sediment from five lakes in New Brunswick, Canada, where airplanes spewed DDT to combat spruce budworm outbreaks before the insecticide was phased out circa 1970. Millions of kilograms of DDT were sprayed across the province, making it one of the most heavily treated forest areas in North America. Today, elevated concentrations of DDT and its chemical by-products persist in lake sediments in this region, researchers report online June 12 in Environmental Science & Technology.