Therefore, it is important to clearly define the properties of any chemical being used in our environment. For answers to such questions, we must turn to the scientists who know the chemical best. In recent years, we have heard a great deal about synthetic pesticides that were designed and produced in chemical laboratories. Some of these are so unique or unusual that they are not readily broken down by normal biological systems. Such synthetic compounds may persist for long periods in the environment.
Rotenone is a natural substance derived from several tropical and sub-tropical plants.
Natives in Central and South America have used the juices of these plants for centuries to help them collect fish for food. In developed countries, scientists have learned that dried roots of rotenone producing plants can be ground into a powder that is useful as a garden insecticide. For many years, it was also a widely used agricultural insecticide applied to crops and livestock to control insect pests. Unfortunately, because rotenone producing plants grow only in the wild, the supply is dependent on natives who locate, dig, and dry the roots for sale to wholesalers. In recent years, agricultural uses of rotenone have declined in the face of new synthetic pesticides that can be mass produced but fishery needs have continued.