Metabolism of 14C-DDT in Pheretima posthuma and effect of pretreatment with DDT, lindane and dieldrin.

Abstract

E a r t h w o r m s a r e known to a c c u m u l a t e DDT and i t s m e t a b o l i t e s f rom the soi l in va ry ing d e g r e e s (YADAV et a l . , 19'76 a ) T h e r e have been v e r y few r e p o r t s r e g a r d i n g the m e t a b o l i s m of DDT in e a r t h w o r m s and even t h e s e a r e conf l ic t ing (EDWARDS and JEFFS, 1974 ; DAVIS, 1968, 1971 and STRINGER e t al . , 1970). In P. pos thuma DDT and i ts m e t a b o l i t e s have been found to be prese--fit with DDE being the m a j o r m e t a b o l i t e (YADAV et a l . , 1976 b). It was a l so o b s e r v e d that p r e s e n c e of l indane inhibi ts the uptake of DDT in the e a r t h w o r m s but the p ropor t ion of m e t a b o l i t e s f w a s m o r e . However , it is not c l e a r i f th i s i n c r e a s e in DDT m e t a b o l i t e s is due to a s e l e c t i v e pickup f rom the soi l o r an a c c e l e r a t e d r a t e of m e t a b o l i s m . 1 4 T h e r e f o r e , a s tudy was under taken on the m e t a b o l i s m of C D D T and the e f f ec t s of p r e t r e a t m e n t with DDT, l indane o r d i e ld ren on DDT m e t a b o l i s m in P. pos thuma.