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Science 25 March 1966:
Vol. 151. no. 3717, pp. 1527 - 1528
DOI: 10.1126/science.151.3717.1527
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Articles

Conversion of p,p-DDT to p,p-DDD by Intestinal Flora of the Rat

Julius L. Mendel 1 and Mae S. Walton 1

1 Division of Pharmacology, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C. 20204

p,p-DDD [1,1-dichloro- 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane] occurs in the feces and livers of rats, that are given p, p-DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane] by stomach tube, but not of rats injected intraperitoneally with p,p-DDT. Coliform bacteria, isolated from feces of control animals, can effect reductive dechlorination of p,p-DDT to p,p-DDD. These findings indicate that the normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract, rather than the liver, as others have suggested, is the major source of the p,p-DDD that is found in animals fed p,p-DDT.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Anaerobic Biodegradation of DDT to DDD in Soil.
W. D. Guenzi and W. E. Beard (1967)
Science 156, 1116-1117
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