The scientific name for DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a now-banned pesticide that was once widely used for insect control.
From chloro- plus phenothane (phenyl groups plus ethane backbone). The systematic name emerged from IUPAC nomenclature in the mid-20th century as chemists standardized naming.
Chlorophenothane shows how chemistry can be both savior and villain—DDT saved millions of people from malaria and typhus, but it also accumulated in animal tissues, caused eagle eggs to crack, and nearly drove species to extinction before we understood bioaccumulation.
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