Paul Hermann Müller

Müller, Paul Hermann (1899–1965), Swiss chemist. His discovery of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) as an insecticide won him the 1948 Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology. The subsequent use of DDT led to increased food production in the world and to a decrease in diseases spread by insects. However, its widespread, long-term use eventually led to a buildup of DDT in the environment that threatened animal life and disrupted ecological food chains. As a result, several countries, including the United States, have banned its use.

See also: DDT.