Retention and excretion of polychlorinated biphenyl residues by laying hens.

Commercial polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures with 21, 32, 42, 48, 54, and 68% chlorine were fed to caged White Leghorn hens at 20 p.p.m. for nine weeks. The 42, 48, and 54% mixtures were also fed at 2 p.p.m. Residues in egg at nine weeks were 0.7, 2.4, 14.4, 9.3, 11.4, and at 21.5 p.p.m. for the 21, 32, 42, 48, 54, and 68% chlorine PCBs, respectively. Corresponding values in body fat were 24.0, 51.1, 89.3, 90.5, 124.5, and 52.4 p.p.m., respectively. Levels in eggs and body fat of groups fed 2 p.p.m. were approximately one-tenth the levels in the 20 p.p.m. group. After seven weeks of control feed, the values for the 20 p.p.m. groups were 0.7, 1.8, 2.8, 3.0, 7.2, and 1.8 for eggs and 8.1, 22.4, 26.4, 39.8, 91.7, and 43.6 for body fat. Estimated recovery of consumed PCBs increased from 8% to 55% as chlorine increased from 21 to 68%. Residues in excreta was about 10% of intake for all PCBs. Body fat retention was greater than egg elimination for 21 through 48% chlorine PCB, about the same for 54% and much less for the 68% chlorine PCB. The ratio of egg: fat residue in contaminated birds was .084:1.