![1958 man DDT for spraying of mosquitoes without protection](http://static.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/images/000/001/886/full/DDT-spraying20160902-3290-1dre146.jpg?1674167034)
The pesticide DDT was commonly used to kill insects on farms and in homes. DDT is an organochlorine. It is highly toxic and can remain in the environment for a long time. By the mid 1970s, the use of DDT was banned due to the discovery of its highly toxic effects.