Bis-(p-Chlorophenyl)-Acetonitrile (DDN), a New DDT Derivative formed in Anaerobic Digested Sewage Sludge and Lake Sediment

Accumulation, metabolism, and effects of organochlorine insecticides on microorganisms.

“…A new compound, DDCN, has been reported as a main product of the degradation of DDT in anaerobic sewage sludge (2,101). In the experiments conducted by Albone et al (2), radiolabeled DDT and nonlabeled DDT at 37°C were incubated in a vessel containing anaerobic sewage sludge.…”

“…Only DDCN was produced from DDT. Jensen et al (101) incubated DDT with sewage sludge enriched with nitrogen at 20°C for 8 days; in this case it was noticed that, in addition to DDCN, a small amount of DDD was also present. In both the cases microbial degradation was implicated.…”

“…The exact pathway for DDCN formation from DDT in microorganisms is not known. However, Albone et al 2and Jensen et al (101) suggested that DDCN is formed directly from DDT and that no other intermediate is involved.…”

An Environmental Fate Study of Methoxychlor Using Water-Sediment Model System

“…16) Matsumura reported that a replacement on the trichlorocarbon with a cyano moiety is a minor microbial reaction of DDT in sludge. 17) Jensen et al failed to find DDCN after feeding DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)- ----------------------------------------------------- ethane) and DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethylene) into sewage sludge, 18) suggesting that MXC-CN probably formed directly from MXC rather than by sequential dechlorination from de-Cl-MXC. In parallel, bis-CN might be formed directly by demethylation of MXC-CN.…”

Toxicity, dioxin-like activities, and endocrine effects of DDT metabolites—DDA, DDMU, DDMS, and DDCN

“…1), but most of the breakdown products have already been described in the early 1970s (e.g., Jensen et al 1972). In addition to microbial activity, other agents such as light, catalytic metals, and even higher organisms could either metabolize DDT (e.g., Garrison et al 2000;Llompart et al 2003;Van Zwieten et al 2003) or inhibit its degradation (Gaw et al 2003).…”