Distribution and excretion of chlordecone (Kepone) in the rat.

Rats received a single, oral, 40-mg/kg dose of 14C-labeled chlordecone in a corn-oil solution. Initially the highest levels of radioactivity were found in the adrenal gland, liver, lung, and fat. While levels declined steadily in all tissues during the course of the study (182 days), the ratio of liver content to that of other tissues increased considerably. The blood half-life was 8.5 days for the first 4 weeks, 24 days for the next 8 weeks, and 45 days for the final 14 weeks, The amount excreted in the feces was 12.7% for the first 24 hr, 2.9% for the second, and 3.3% during the third 24-hr period. By 84 days 65.5% of the dose had been excreted by this route. Total urinary excretion of radioactivity for 84 days was 1.6%. These results indicate that chlordecone is well absorbed and distributed throughout the body, has a long half-life, and disappears more slowly from the liver than from other tissues. The majority of a dose is eliminated slowly in the feces with very little appearing in the urine. The findings are consistent with the expected pharmacokinetics of a chlorinated hydrocarbon, although there was less of a tendency to localize in fat than anticipated.