Metabolic and mutagenicity studies on DDT and 15 derivatives. Detection of 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethane and 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethyl acetate (kelthane acetate) as mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium and of 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene oxide, a likely metabolite, as an alkylating agent.

Using a novel in vitro technique, whereby microsomal enzymes were embedded in an agar layer to prolong their viability, 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene(DDNU), a mammalian metabolite of 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT), was converted by microsomal mono-oxygenases of mouse liver into 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,2-ethanediol (DDNU-diol). The putative epoxide intermediate, 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene oxide (DDNU-oxide), a new compound, was synthesized; it showed weak alkylating activity with 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine but was not mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA100 and TA98. DDT and 13 of its metabolites or putative synthetic derivatives, including 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethylene (DDE), 1 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2-chloroethylene (DDMU), 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2-chloroethane (DDMS)-DDNU, 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethanol (DDOH), bis(p-chlorophenyl)acetic acid (DDA) and 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethanol (Kethane), caused no mutagenic effects in S. typhimurium strains TA100 or TA98, either in the presence or absence of a mouse-liver microsomal fraction. 1,1-Bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethyl acetate (Kelthane acetate) was a direct-acting mutagen in strain TA100, whereas 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethane (DDD) was mutagenic in TA98, only in the presence of a mouse-liver microsomal system. The results are discussed in relation to possible pathways whereby DDT is activated to mutagenic and/or carcinogenic metabolites.