Urinary excretion and exhalation of trichloroethylene were examined in rats. After intraperitoneal injection of trichloroethylene (1 m mole per Kg body weight) to Wister female rats, urine and expired air were collected regularly.
The concentrations of trichloroethylene in exhaled air were determined by gas chromatography. The urinary metabolites of total trichlorocompounds (trichloroethanol glucronide and trichloroacetic acid) were measured by colorimetry. After the injection of trichloroethylene, the exhalation rate per hour of the vapor in expired air increased rapidly and reached a maximum (7.8%) in with 2 hours, then decreased with a half of 0.7 hours at a rapid phare.
The elimination ratio of trichloroethylene to administered trichloroethylene in expired air for 7 hours after the administration of trichloroethylene was 20.7%.
The total excretion ratio in urine as metabolites to administered trichloroethylene for 144 hours after administration was 16.96% for total trichloro-compounds.
The total excretion ratio of both expired air for 7 hours and urinary metabolites for 144 hours was 37.3% of the trichloroethylene administered. The ratio of amounts of urinary excretion to those of expiratory excretion was 0.8.
