Final answer:
Chlordane is an organochlorine pesticide different from DDT in its chemical structure and application. Both were banned due to their persistent environmental damage and health hazards, with DDT notably causing biomagnification in top predators, leading to reproductive issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chlordane is an organochlorine compound that was used as a pesticide in the United States until it was banned in the 1980s due to concerns about environmental damage and human health risks. Chlordane differs from DDT (dichloro, diphenyl, trichloroethane), another organochlorine pesticide, in its chemical structure and use.
While DDT was the first widely used pesticide and was particularly effective against malarial mosquitoes, it also had significant drawbacks, such as environmental persistence leading to biomagnification and the development of insect resistance.
DDT persistence in the environment leads to biomagnification, where it accumulates in the tissues of organisms at the top of the food chain. This can cause reproductive issues for these species, such as thinning eggshells among birds of prey. Eventually, due to these harmful effects, DDT was banned in many parts of the world.
By contrast, chlordane was used primarily as an insecticide in homes and gardens but was similarly banned when it was also found to have adverse environmental and human health effects. Since the ban of both DDT and chlordane, affected ecosystems and species have shown signs of recovery.