Editing DDT (section)

=== Chronic toxicity ===
Primarily through the tendency for DDT to build up in areas of the body with high lipid content, chronic exposure can affect reproductive capabilities and the embryo or fetus.<ref name="Agarwal"/>
* A review article in ''[[The Lancet]]'' states: "research has shown that exposure to DDT at amounts that would be needed in malaria control might cause preterm birth and early weaning&nbsp;... toxicological evidence shows [[endocrine disruptor|endocrine-disrupting]] properties; human data also indicate possible disruption in semen quality, menstruation, gestational length, and duration of lactation".<ref name=Rogan05/>
* Other studies document decreases in [[semen]] quality among men with high exposures (generally from [[indoor residual spraying]]).<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Jurewicz J, Hanke W, Radwan M, Bonde JP | s2cid = 6681999 | title = Environmental factors and semen quality | journal = International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health | volume = 22 | issue = 4 | pages = 305–329 | date = January 2010 | pmid = 20053623 | doi = 10.2478/v10001-009-0036-1 | doi-broken-date = November 11, 2024 }}</ref>
* Studies are inconsistent on whether high blood DDT or DDE levels increase time to pregnancy.<ref name="PineRiver"/> In mothers with high DDE blood serum levels, daughters may have up to a 32% increase in the probability of conceiving, but increased DDT levels have been associated with a 16% decrease in one study.<ref name="Eskenazi">{{cite journal | vauthors = Eskenazi B, Chevrier J, Rosas LG, Anderson HA, Bornman MS, Bouwman H, Chen A, Cohn BA, de Jager C, Henshel DS, Leipzig F, Leipzig JS, Lorenz EC, Snedeker SM, Stapleton D | title = The Pine River statement: human health consequences of DDT use | journal = Environmental Health Perspectives | volume = 117 | issue = 9 | pages = 1359–1367 | date = September 2009 | pmid = 19750098 | doi = 10.1289/ehp.11748 | quote = Overall, the few studies conducted to date suggest that DDT exposure may affect time to pregnancy, but more research is needed. | pmc=2737010| bibcode = 2009EnvHP.117.1359E }}</ref>
* Indirect exposure of mothers through workers directly in contact with DDT is associated with an increase in spontaneous abortions.<ref name="Agarwal"/>
* Other studies found that DDT or DDE interfere with proper thyroid function in pregnancy and childhood.<ref name="PineRiver"/><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Chevrier J, Eskenazi B, Holland N, Bradman A, Barr DB | title = Effects of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides on thyroid function during pregnancy | journal = American Journal of Epidemiology | volume = 168 | issue = 3 | pages = 298–310 | date = August 2008 | pmid = 18550560 | pmc = 2727265 | doi = 10.1093/aje/kwn136}}</ref>
* Mothers with high levels of DDT circulating in their blood during pregnancy were found to be more likely to give birth to children who would go on to develop autism.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Reardon|first=Sara|date=2018-08-16|title=Autism and DDT: What one million pregnancies can – and can't – reveal|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05994-1|journal=Nature|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-05994-1|s2cid=81471566|issn=0028-0836|access-date=August 17, 2018|archive-date=August 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819095150/https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05994-1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Brown AS, Cheslack-Postava K, Rantakokko P, Kiviranta H, Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki S, McKeague IW, Surcel HM, Sourander A | title = Association of Maternal Insecticide Levels With Autism in Offspring From a National Birth Cohort | journal = The American Journal of Psychiatry | volume = 175 | issue = 11 | pages = 1094–1101 | date = November 2018 | pmid = 30111184 | pmc = 6377859 | doi = 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17101129 }}</ref>