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Why was DDT widely used as an insecticide after its introduction in the 1940s?

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Following its introduction in the 1940s, DDT became one of the world's most widely used insecticides primarily because it was inexpensive, highly effective against a broad range of agricultural and disease-carrying pests, and long-lasting in its application.12

Chemist Paul Hermann Müller specifically sought an "ideal" insecticide that was potent against many insect species while remaining economical to produce and chemically stable. DDT met these criteria, proving deadly to insects such as mosquitoes, lice, and the Colorado potato beetle. Its stability allowed it to persist on surfaces, providing extended protection against insects that transmit diseases like typhus and malaria.21

However, this same chemical stability and persistence, which initially made DDT so effective, eventually led to severe environmental consequences, including bioaccumulation in animal tissues and ecological damage. These harmful impacts, alongside the development of insect resistance, ultimately resulted in the widespread banning or restriction of the compound by the 1970s.312