Abstract
The distribution of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN) in several organs and tissues of rats after the single oral administration (20 mg/kg) was investigated. The maximum levels of PCN in the liver, kidney, spleen, brain and blood appeared within 3 hr after the administration, and the levels decreased with time remarkably. The organs containing PCN at the highest level was kidney through which PCN might be excreted. At a 24-hr period after the administration, the order of PCN concentration in the tissues was kidney>lung>spleen>brain and liver, and it was kept at least within 5 days. That PCN was detected at the highest concentration in the kidney and the lowest in the liver was markedly different from the distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls reported already. The residue of PCN in adipose tissues at a 15-day period after the administration was detected at extremely low levels, which were higher than those in the organs. The numbers of chlorine substituted in the molecules were not related to the degree of the accumulation to tissues.
