Shocking 1940s video shows how US children were sprayed with dangerous pesticide as neighbourhoods were gassed with the 'miracle cure' that could kill mosquitoes and end Polio
- Footage shows groups of people being sprayed with the chemical in Texas
- Clip gives an insight into the lack of health and safety regulations in 1940s
- Later scenes show US army personnel handing DDT to people in Naples
Shocking footage from the mid-1940s showing huge groups of people being sprayed with the pesticide DDT has re-emerged.
The clips, taken from several newsreels from the time, show dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) being sprayed over people blissfully unaware of the danger they are in.
The pesticide is sprayed into gardens, over swimmers at a pool and around diners eating around a dinner table.
Shocking footage shows dangerous pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) being sprayed over children in Texas
Other scenes show a busy street being covered in the chemical in the 1940s. The pesticide was used as it was thought it could prevent the spread of polio
It gives an insight into the lack of health and safety regulations in the mid-20th century.
The first scene shows a small town in Texas being coated in DDT in an attempt to halt the spread of polio in the area.
Later scenes show United States army personnel supplying DDT to the people of Naples toward the end of the Second World War.
Children can be seen having the pesticide applied to their heads and inside their clothing during the clip.
Allied forces used the chemical to stop the spread of lice-borne typhus which was prevalent in Italy between 1943 and 1945.
Later scenes show United States army personnel supplying DDT to the people of Naples toward the end of the Second World War. Children are seen having it applied to their heads
An astonishing 1.34 billion tonnes of the chemical was sprayed across the United States in the years between 1946 and 1962
DDT became prevalent in the United States from around 1943 onwards as many views it as a miracle cure for polio.
An astonishing 1.34 billion tonnes of the chemical was sprayed across the United States in the years between 1946 and 1962.
Its impact on the environment was significant, making its way into the food supply and being reported to cause neurological problems in livestock such as cows.
While the effects on people are more widely debated, there are still reports of significant health issues being caused as a result of exposure to DDT.
The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) of North America states: 'Studies show a range of human health effects linked to DDT and its breakdown product, DDE including, breast and other cancers, male infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight, developmental delay and nervous system and liver damage.'
DDT was used well into the 1950s. After a review the U.S. government moved to ban its use in 1972
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