Paul Muller of Geigy Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland discovered the insecticidal effectiveness of DDT in 1939. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1948 for this discovery.
Who discovered the insecticidal properties of DDT, and what significant recognition did he receive for this discovery?
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Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Müller discovered the insecticidal properties of DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) in 1939. For his significant contribution, Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1948. His discovery of DDT’s effectiveness as an insecticide had a profound impact on public health and agriculture by providing a powerful tool against insect-borne diseases like malaria and pests affecting crops. However, the widespread and indiscriminate use of DDT raised environmental and ecological concerns, eventually leading to its restriction and ban in many countries due to its persistence and detrimental effects on non-target species.