Special Occupational Hazard Review for DDT

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  This Hazard Review examined problems associated with the use and manufacture of DDT (50293). The use of DDT has been restricted in the United States to specific applications by the Department of Agriculture and the Public Health Department, and for controlling body lice. In other countries, DDT was still used widely in agriculture and for vector control. Studies indicated that the estimated oral toxicity for humans was 250mg/kg. Animal studies suggested that chronic effects may occur in humans exposed for long periods of time, possibly even the production of cancer. DDT has produced an increased incidence of tumors in mice, mostly involving the liver, but also involving the lungs and lymphatic system. Studies with mice showed increased tumor incidence at dietary level as low as 2 to 10 parts per million. NIOSH recommends that DDT be controlled and handled in the workplace as a suspected carcinogen. Exposure should be kept to the minimum. Airborne levels of DDT should not exceed 0.5mg/m3. Workers should avoid skin contact as the pesticide can be absorbed through the skin. This absorption is enhanced in the presence of organic solvents. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Carcinogens Chlorine Compounds Hazardous Substances Insecticides Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural-chemicals Chlorinated-hydrocarbon-pesticides NIOSH-Criteria-Document Occupational-exposure Organo-chlorine-compounds Pesticides Toxic-effects
• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB78200
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Standards
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DCDSD - Division of Criteria Documents and Standards Development
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-214
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00184343
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB81-226656
• Citation:
  Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 78-200, 1978 Sep; :1-214
• CAS Registry Number:
  DDT (CAS RN 50-29-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1978
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b33f527f9a8e3633c750e0e62331cf5b97b0dc25bc03f315c90ee169cf71cb60ea51017817265143c24b913197735603573125b151afd88359b00fff59c19ef5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/209555/cdc_209555_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.33 MB ]