Which pesticide was developed as a DDT alternative with lower biomagnification potential?

Which pesticide was developed as a DDT alternative with lower biomagnification potential?

• A. DDT
• B. Methoxychlor
• C. Chlordane
• D. Aldrin

Answer: (B)

Biomagnification and persistence drive pesticide design. DDT is extremely lipophilic and long-lasting in the environment, so it accumulates in fatty tissues and becomes more concentrated as it moves up the food chain. Methoxychlor was developed as a DDT substitute with the goal of reducing these properties. It is more readily metabolized into polar, excretable products and degrades faster, which lowers its tendency to accumulate in organisms and magnify through trophic levels. That’s why it’s positioned as having lower biomagnification potential than DDT. By contrast, chlordane and aldrin are also persistent organochlorines known to biomagnify, so they don’t fit the criterion of a pesticide with low biomagnification.

Biomagnification and persistence drive pesticide design. DDT is extremely lipophilic and long-lasting in the environment, so it accumulates in fatty tissues and becomes more concentrated as it moves up the food chain. Methoxychlor was developed as a DDT substitute with the goal of reducing these properties. It is more readily metabolized into polar, excretable products and degrades faster, which lowers its tendency to accumulate in organisms and magnify through trophic levels. That’s why it’s positioned as having lower biomagnification potential than DDT. By contrast, chlordane and aldrin are also persistent organochlorines known to biomagnify, so they don’t fit the criterion of a pesticide with low biomagnification.