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Silent Spring and pesticides

This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method

For everyone

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, published in 1962, described the effects of pesticides such as DDT on birds, fish and the food chain. The book started a broad public debate and is counted among the starting points of the modern environmental movement. The US banned the agricultural use of DDT in 1972. The benefits of limited DDT use against malaria and its health risks are still debated.

For specialists

DDT and its metabolites are fat-soluble and accumulate up the food chain (biomagnification). Eggshell thinning in birds of prey was measured in Britain in the 1960s. Populations of species such as the bald eagle and peregrine falcon recovered after the ban. The 2001 Stockholm Convention listed DDT among persistent organic pollutants but allowed an exemption for indoor spraying against malaria vectors.

Claims

Persistent pesticides accumulate in the food chain and harm non-target organisms, especially birds of prey.^[1]

Evidence

Supporting

Measurement

In Britain a marked decrease in shell weight was measured in birds-of-prey eggs collected after 1947, coinciding with the start of DDT use.^[2]

Challenging

—

Positions

Public health assessment: Limited use of DDT through indoor spraying is effective in reducing malaria; its possible health risks must be weighed against the burden of malaria.^[3]

Connections

Parent

Biology

The ecosystem concept and ecology The Haber–Bosch process and synthetic fertiliser

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Sources

BookCarson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin, Boston
ArticleRatcliffe, D. A. (1967). Decrease in eggshell weight in certain birds of prey. Nature 215, 208–210DOI 10.1038/215208a0 archive
ArticleRogan, W. J.; Chen, A. (2005). Health risks and benefits of bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (DDT). The Lancet 366(9487), 763–773DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67182-6 archive

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Cite this page

APA

Athena contributors. (2026). Silent Spring and pesticides. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/sessiz-bahar/

BibTeX

@misc{athena_sessiz_bahar,
  title        = {Silent Spring and pesticides},
  author       = {{Athena contributors}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/sessiz-bahar/}},
  note         = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}

Added: September 28, 2026 · Last changed: September 28, 2026 · Page history

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