Journal of toxicology and environmental health
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J Toxicol Environ Health · Jan 1987
Disposition of decabromobiphenyl ether in rats dosed intravenously or by feeding.
The disposition of 14C-labeled decabromobiphenyl ether (DBBE) in male Fischer rats dosed by feeding (0.025-5.0% of the diet) or intravenously (1 mg/kg) was determined. For rats dosed by feeding, intestinal absorption of DBBE was evident in that the intact compound was present in extracts of liver. For these rats, the size of the liver increased with increasing concentration of DBBE in the diet. ⋯ In 4 h, rats with biliary cannulas excreted in the bile 7.17% of the intravenously administered radioactivity; less than 1% was excreted as intact DBBE. Biliary excretion was apparently the major route for elimination of the intravenously administered compound. The rapid excretion and extensive metabolism of DBBE, relative to other polyhalogenated compounds, are advantageous properties that may allow it to be used in place of structurally similar compounds presently employed in industrial applications.