Chlordane, Chlordene, Dihydrochlordene, Dihydroheptachlor, Heptachlor 
Heptachlor (1,4,5,6,7,8,8-Heptachloro-3a,4,7,/7a-tetrahydro- 
4,7-methanoindene) 
When heptachlor was fed to rats (1187), dogs (345), and cows (346) 
or when cows grazed on heptachlor treated pasture (64, 404, 1254, 1255, 
1366), only heptachlor epoxide was found in the tissues of these animals 
and in the cows' milk. Studies have shown that epoxidation of heptachlor 
to heptachlor epoxide occurred in the microsomal fraction of the liver in 
rats and rabbits (1069, 1521). 
After intravenous injection into rats and rabbits, heptachlor was 
metabolized to the epoxide and a hydrophyllic compound. [In male rabbits, 
this amounted to 20% and 80%, respectively, for the two compounds within 
144 hours after injection. By means of thin-layer, paper and gas 
chromatography, the hydrophyllic material was identified as 4,5,6,7,8,8- 
hexachloro-1l-exo-hydroxy-6, 7/-exo-epoxy-1,2 ,3a,4,7,/a-hexahydro-1,4- 
endomethylenindene (802). 
Heptachlor was rapidly metabolized by houseflies to heptachlor 
epoxide (1153). No other metabolite was found, Similarly, the only 
metabolite recovered from plants (522) or from soil (90, 521, 1059, 1500, 
1531) was heptachlor epoxide. 
In aqueous suspensions of heptachlor exposed to UV, l-hydroxy- 
chlordene has been found (152). After UV exposure of hexane solutions 
of heptachlor, six unidentified degradation products were observed. 
Heptachlor epoxide in hexane gave rise to one compound (78). 
2 
| Epoxide 
Cl 
Cl Heptachlor Ss 
Hy droxy-epoxy 


