Residues of the insecticide DDT have been found to persist at “alarming rates” in trout even after nearly six decades, potentially posing a significant danger to humans and wildlife that eat the fish, research has found.
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, known as DDT, was used on forested land in New Brunswick, Canada, from 1952 to 1968. The researchers found traces of it remained in brook trout in some lakes, often at levels 10 times higher than the recommended safety threshold for wildlife.