Insecticide

Insecticide is a pesticide whose purpose is to kill or to prevent the multiplication of insects.

Some insecticides have been banned due to their adverse effects on animals or humans.

DDT is an example of a heavily used and misused pesticide. One of the better known impacts of DDT is to reduce the thickness of the egg shells on predatory birds. The shells sometimes become too thin to be viable, causing reductions in bird populations. This occurs with DDT and a number of related compounds due to the process of biomagnification, wherein the chemical accumulates to progressively higher concentrations in animals farther up the food chain. The near-worldwide ban on DDT and related chemicals has allowed some of these birds--such as the peregrine falcon--to recover in recent years.

See also : EPA