Which statement describes a pesticide designed to reduce biomagnification while retaining insecticidal activity?

Which statement describes a pesticide designed to reduce biomagnification while retaining insecticidal activity?

• A. Aldrin was developed to reduce biomagnification
• B. Chlordane reduces risk
• C. DDE is not a metabolite
• D. Methoxychlor was developed to reduce biomagnification while maintaining insecticidal activity

Answer: (D)

Biomagnification happens when a pesticide is highly persistent and fat-soluble, so it stays in organisms and becomes more concentrated up the food chain. To keep insecticidal power but lessen this build-up, chemists design compounds that are more easily metabolized into less persistent forms while still killing insects effectively. Methoxychlor fits this approach. It is a DDT-like pesticide, but with a structural modification that makes it more readily broken down in organisms. This reduces how long it remains in the body and how much it accumulates through the food chain, while still providing insecticidal activity. Aldrin, chlordane, and DDE are more strongly associated with persistence and biomagnification, so they don’t exemplify the goal of reducing biomagnification while maintaining effectiveness. DDE is indeed a metabolite of DDT, so the claim about it not being a metabolite isn’t accurate.

Biomagnification happens when a pesticide is highly persistent and fat-soluble, so it stays in organisms and becomes more concentrated up the food chain. To keep insecticidal power but lessen this build-up, chemists design compounds that are more easily metabolized into less persistent forms while still killing insects effectively.

Methoxychlor fits this approach. It is a DDT-like pesticide, but with a structural modification that makes it more readily broken down in organisms. This reduces how long it remains in the body and how much it accumulates through the food chain, while still providing insecticidal activity.

Aldrin, chlordane, and DDE are more strongly associated with persistence and biomagnification, so they don’t exemplify the goal of reducing biomagnification while maintaining effectiveness. DDE is indeed a metabolite of DDT, so the claim about it not being a metabolite isn’t accurate.