ABSTRACT
The metabolic alteration of chlorobiphenyls is being actively investigated in many laboratories because of possible relationships of metabolism to toxicity and storage in the body on the one hand and environmental breakdown in soils mud and water on the other. General information on the metabolism of compounds related to chlorobiphenyls by microorganisms and animals is available. The microbial degradation of a number of commercial polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) preparations was studied using activated sludge under aerobic conditions in a semicontinuous operation. Metabolism of certain components of technical PCB mixtures is indicated by the fact that GC-peaks with lower retention time are diminished or absent in tissue extracts from PCB-treated animals. The intestinal absorption of biphenyl and 19 mono- to hexachlorobiphenyls in rats has been studied by monitoring fecal excretion after the feeding of individual compounds. Chlorobiphenyls will provide interesting substrates for the study of labile intermediates or special reactions known to occur with aromatic hydrocarbons.
