1982 Volume 20 Issue 3 Pages 237-246
Di-isopropylnaphthalenes (KMC) and 1-phenyl-1-xylyl-ethanes (SAS) have been widely used, especially in non-carbon paper (pressure sensitive copying paper), since 1971 in place of PCBs. The toxicity of the solvents has been studied as one of the national special studies in Japan. First, in 1972, distribution and disappearance in the living body was investigated in rats. Although a little ac-cumulation of the substances was observed in the fat after a single oral dose, it was later found that continuous oral administration for a month caused no ac-cumulation in the other organs. Accumulation in the liver, blood, kidneys and brain was not observed. In experiments in vitro, furthermore, the substances were found to be decomposed by liver homogenate. The rates of decomposition of all components of KMC were similar, but the rates for SAS were not. The rate for 1-phenyl-1-orthoxyly1-ethane was larger than that for 1-phenyl-1-metaxyly1 ethane.
