Degradation and disappearance of ortho, para isomer of technical DDT in living and dead avian tissues.

The O,p'-DDT in technical DDT is broken down to p,p'-DDT and then to 1,1-dichloro- 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene in living avian tissue. In the anaerobic conditions existing after death, O,p'-DDT is metabolized to 1,1-dichloro-2-(O-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane. The absence of O,p'-DDT and metabolites in field specimens is ascribed to the rapid rate of breakdown and a masking of the 1,1-dichloro-2-(O-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane residue during analysis by the relatively large amounts of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene.