Posted on 10/11/2019 3:24:15 PM PDT by BenLurkin
In continuing to explore the crystal structure of insecticides, the research team began studying fluorinated forms of DDT, swapping out chlorine atoms for fluorine. They prepared two solid forms of the compound—a monofluoro and a difluoro analog—and tested them on fruit flies and mosquitoes, including mosquito species that carry malaria, yellow fever, Dengue, and Zika. The solid forms of fluorinated DDT killed insects more quickly than did DDT; the difluoro analog, known as DFDT, killed mosquitoes two to four times faster.
The researchers also made a detailed analysis of the relative activities of the solid-state forms of fluorinated DDT, noting that less thermodynamically stable forms—in which the crystals liberate molecules more easily—were more effective at quickly killing insects.
In the post-war chaos, however, DFDT manufacturing came to an abrupt end. Allied military officials who interviewed Third Reich scientists dismissed the Germans' claims that DFDT was faster and less toxic to mammals than DDT, calling their studies "meager" and "inadequate" in military intelligence reports.
In his 1948 Nobel Prize address for the discovery of the insect-killing capability of DDT, Paul Müller noted that DFDT should be the insecticide of the future, given that it works more quickly than does DDT. Despite this, DFDT has largely been forgotten and was unknown to contemporary entomologists with whom the NYU researchers consulted.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
“Did you have to worry about other...multi-legged, bed-related critters?
Nothing personal, just musing about hotels.”
FYI, FWIW...
I’ve honored my spouse’s “request” not to stay in a less than 3-star hotel for close to 30 years, and not regretted “our” decision.
I loved the smell of DDT in the evening!
No worries, that’s why I said kind of offended.
I found another reason to hate football. After a half day of work, I hit the road headed home. Drove about 9 hours and got tired. Stupid college football had every hotel for about 80 miles sold out. Finally found one. It’s a dump but I’m too tired to complain.
Bring back something that will kill them
************
Last cruise we were on we bought a kilo of DDT in Cancun... just because it’s “banned” in the USA doesn’t mean it’s not available.
Sympathies. Wasn’t due to football, but I’ve been caught on the road myself and had to take what I could get.
The mattress was so bad I needed a chiropractor when I got home.
fluorine is a very stable atom, I would be worried about this building up in the environment but I am sure it works great
Malaria could be eradicated around human populations with the targeted use of DDT, but the environmental a$$hats have invested the UN so deeply, they would rather watch whole families die of the disease.
What a bunch of troglodytes the left are!
Bring on the DFDT! And make war on both mosquitoes and bed bugs!
My comment was sarcasm. Hoped it wouldn’t need tagged.
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