The Use of DDT as an Insecticide in the United

question 4

Multiple Choice

The use of DDT as an insecticide in the United States has been outlawed since 1971, yet is still a problem for certain top-level carnivores in the United States. Which of the following choices best explains this apparent incongruity?

• A) DDT is still used for mosquito control in tropical countries, and certain migratory predators can be affected by a seasonal biomagnification.
• B) DDT is persistent in the environment and all of the pre-1971 DDT is still available in toxic form to poison top-level carnivores.
• C) Pre-1971 DDT has been deposited in certain habitats, particularly wetlands and estuaries, so predators in these ecosystems are vulnerable to biomagnifications of DDT.
• D) Whereas most DDT-susceptible species have become resistant to persistent DDT, others are still vulnerable.
• E) All of the options are correct.

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Definitions:

Endowed

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Desert Island

A remote, uninhabited island, often used in hypothetical scenarios or survival narratives.

Competitive Equilibrium

A market state where supply equals demand, with no external influences, and prices are such that the quantity supplied is equal to the quantity demanded.

Utility Function

A mathematical representation in economics of how a consumer's preferences correspond to the consumption of goods and services.