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When bad chemicals make good
In 1962, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring gave noxious chemicals a bad name. Four decades later, scientists are proving that even dangerous substances can be beautiful. Once-notorious baddies such as botulinum and thalidomide are making a comeback as researchers reevaluate their potential for treating other afflictions. Even DDT and napalm are getting a second look.
DDT
The chemical was used by the military during World War II and later employed as a crop protector and insecticide. It saved millions of lives by helping to eradicate malaria and typhus.
Bad rep: DDT lingers in the environment, killing birds and fish. In 1972, the newly formed EPA banned it, citing health risks to humans.
Saving grace: Conservative groups like the Cato Institute say DDT can stop West Nile virus. Last year, more than 400 scientists from 57 countries signed an open letter to the UN calling for the lifting of restrictions on DDT to help control malaria.
Botulinum
The supertoxic bacteria thrives in tainted cans, jars, and smoked foods. The toxin binds to nerve endings, preventing signals from reaching muscles. The result: paralysis and suffocation.
Bad rep: Outbreaks are rare - about 110 US cases a year - and rarely fatal.
Saving grace: Medical applications. Botox - purified botulinum - made the cover of Newsweek last year for its wrinkle-smoothing effects, but doctors are now finding more uses: treating facial paralysis in stroke victims and alleviating symptoms in children who suffer from muscle spasms.
Thalidomide
Introduced in 1957 by the German company Chemie Grunenthal, it was especially popular for relieving morning sickness.
Bad rep: It caused miscarriages and horrific birth defects across Europe. The drug was banned worldwide in 1962.
Saving grace: The FDA reapproved thalidomide for treating leprosy in 1998. It has also proven a success in fighting myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer. New data suggests the drug may be effective in treating lupus and in combating HIV-induced mouth sores.
Napalm
A mix of gasoline, benzene, and polystyrene, napalm was invented by US scientists in the 1940s. It burns at up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bad rep: After an AP photographer snapped a child running naked and burned from her Vietnamese village in 1972, the US stopped using it as a weapon.
Saving grace: Oil spills and diseased livestock. In August 2001, Nevada officials found that napalm destroyed anthrax-infected carcasses in just 60 minutes. In 1999, the US Coast Guard used napalm to clean up an oil slick along the Oregon coast.
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