Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
DDE Remediation and Degradation
John E. Thomas 1 , Li-Tse Ou 1 , and Abid Al-Agely 1
I
Introduction.....................................................................................................................
55
II
Phytoremediation ............................................................................................................
57
III
Aerobic Degradation and Remediation...........................................................................
60
IV
Anaerobic Degradation and Remediation .......................................................................
61
V
Abiotic Remediation and Degradation............................................................................
63
Summary .................................................................................................................................
65
References ...............................................................................................................................
66
I Introduction
DDE (2,2-bis( p -chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene) is not a natural product; it is
found only as a recalcitrant degradation product of 2,2-bis( p -chlorophenyl)-
1,1,1-trichloroethane (DDT) or as a contaminant in technical-grade DDT (Metcalf
1995). DDT was produced and used starting in 1939, finally gaining widespread
use by 1943 (Turusov et al. 2002). By the 1960s, evidence indicated that DDT and
its metabolites, DDE and DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis( p -chlorophenyl)-ethane),
were highly persistent in the environment and accumulated in higher mammals.
DDT derivatives have been reported to be responsible for the thinning of bird egg-
shells (Heberer and Dunnbier 1999). Other studies suggested that the derivatives
and isomers of DDT are endocrine disrupters causing impaired reproduction in
wildlife by emasculation and abnormal sexual development (Sharpe 1995). The
U.S. Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) has determined that DDT, DDD,
and DDE are probable human carcinogens (ATSDR 2002). DDT was banned in the
United States during the early 1970s, except for the emergency control of vector-
borne diseases (Heberer and Dunnbier 1999; Spencer et al. 1996).
Technical-grade DDT, the most common formulation to be used as an insecticide, is
composed of 14 chemicals with only 65%-80% being the active ingredient, p , p '-DDT.
Technical DDT also contains 15%-21% of the inactive o , p '-DDT, 4% DDD, and up to
1.5% of 1-( p -chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethanol. DDE is not an appreciable
Search WWH ::




Custom Search