A COMPARISON BETWEEN INTUBATION AND FOOD ADDITION AS ROUTES OF ORAL EXPOSURE FOR NORTHERN BOBWHITES TO DDT INSECTICIDE

Our objective was to compare two methods of oral dosing of p,p′-DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethane) on uptake of DDT metabolites and isomers (i.e., p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDD) in livers and brains. p,p′-DDT was administered to northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) by intubation with corn oil or as a feed additive for 56 days. When adjusted for amount of DDT consumed, total DDT (ΣDDT, the summation of all DDT metabolites and isomers) and p,p′-DDE concentrations differed significantly (P < 0.10) in both brains and livers, whereas p,p′-DDD differed only in brains and p,p′-DDT differed only in livers. Paired comparisons between brains and livers differed significantly for ΣDDT, (P < 0.05), p,p′-DDE (P < 0.05) and p,p′-DDT (P < 0.1) for both intubated and food-dosed treatment groups, whereas p,p′-DDD (P < 0.05) differed only in the intubated group. We concluded that method of oral exposure affected the uptake of DDT in livers and brains for northern bobwhites.