From 1950-1970, aldrin and dieldrin were popular pesticides for crops like corn and cotton. Because of concerns about damage to the environment and the potential harm to human health, EPA banned all uses of aldrin and dieldrin in 1974 except to control termites. In 1987, EPA banned all uses. They bind tightly to soil and slowly evaporate to the air. Dieldrin breaks down very slowly.
Plants take in and store aldrin and dieldrin from the soil.
Aldrin rapidly changes to dieldrin in plants and animals. Dieldrin is stored in the fat and leaves the body very slowly. Dieldrin is everywhere in the environment, but at very low levels. Since its use was banned, most foods contain very little, if any, dieldrin. Foods such as fish, seafood, dairy products, fatty meats, and root crops grown in contaminated water or soil may have higher levels of dieldrin.