Metabolism of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane, and 1-chloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethene in the hamster.

The urinary metabolites of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDD), and 1-chloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethene in female hamsters are reported. The principal metabolite of both DDT and DDD is 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) acetic acid. DDT- and DDD-treated animals also excreted small amounts of DDD, 1-chloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethene, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)ethene, 2-hydroxy-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)acetic acid, and 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethanol. 1-Chloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethene is metabolized to afford significant amounts of 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)acetic acid, 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethanol, 2-hydroxy-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)acetic acid, 2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)acetaldehyde, and 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethan-1,2-diol. These results indicate that the metabolic disposition of DDT in the hamster, a species refractory to DDT tumorigenicity, is very similar to that observed previously in the mouse, a species sensitive to DDT tumorigenicity. The one exception is that the hamster is not nearly as efficient as the mouse in converting DDT to 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethene, a metabolite that is tumorigenic in both species.