US EPA

1404372 

Journal Article 

Acute intraperitoneal toxicity of DDT and PCB's in mice using two solvents 

Lewin, V; Mcblain, WA; Wolfe, FH 

1972 

Yes 

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
ISSN: 0007-4861
EISSN: 1432-0800 

8 

4 

245-250 

English 

4205449 

10.1007/BF01839521 

WOS:A1972N785800011 

The acute toxicity of DDT (50293) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was determined in ALAS-mice, BALB-mice, CBA-mice, C57BL-mice, and wild type mice. p,p'-DDT and Aroclor-1254 (11097691) dissolved in corn oil were administered to a total of 302 ALAS-mice by intraperitoneal (ip) injection. Injection volumes for DDT in corn-oil were in the range of 0.08 to 0.56 milliliter (ml) for a 25 milligram (mg)/ml solution and 0.02 to 0.40ml for a 100mg/ml solution. For PCBs injection, volumes were 0.12 to 1.45ml for a 100mg/ml solution and 0.18 to 0.54ml for a 250mg/ml solution. Five strains of 332 mice were given ip injections of either p,p'-DDT or Aroclor-1254 dissolved in dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO) at a concentration of 250mg/ml. Injected volumes were in the range of 0.03 to 0.18ml. For ALAS-mice the median lethal dose (LD50) for 100mg/ml of p,p'-DDT in corn-oil was 280mg/kilogram (kg); an LD50 of 2,840mg/kg was observed for a 250mg/ml solution of PCBs in corn oil. The response to p,p'-DDT in DMSO did not vary with the strain of mouse except in CBA-mice where the LD50 was significantly less than that of the wild type mice. For PCBs, CBA-mice LD50 was significantly less than that of ALAS-mice and BALB-mice; the other LD50 values did not differ significantly. The LD50 values for DDT and PCBs when compared within each strain did not differ significantly except in BALB-mice where DDT was more toxic than PCBs. The authors conclude that DMSO produces more accurate LD50 values than corn-oil when used as a vehicle for ip injections of DDT and Aroclor-1254.