Biological activity of technical Aroclor 1254 compared to Aroclor 1254 residues: swine fat residues fed to broiler cockerels.

Fat from Aroclor 1254-treated swine was rendered and incorporated into the diets of broiler chicks for 3-4 weeks. The technical Aroclor 1254 which was fed to the swine was also mixed into control lard for comparison at dietary concentrations of 0.07-9.0 mg/kg. The swine-residue PCB seemed to have a higher proportion of strong microsomal inducers, but the technical PCB was slightly more effective in inducing ethoxy resorufin and p-nitro-anisole (pNA) O-dealkylases than the swine-residue PCB. No overt signs of toxicosis were apparent and none of the diets resulted in changes in growth, relative organ weights, microsomal protein or high affinity pNA O-dealkylase. Increases in cytochrome(s) P-450 were significant only at the higher dietary concentrations (approx. 9 mg/kg) while ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase was induced at dietary concentrations below 1 mg/kg.