The metabolism and comparative elimination of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in termites

Termites may serve as a potential supplementary food source for fish, poultry and pigs. Waste paper may be used as a source of food in mass rearing the termites. However, paper products and printing inks contain trace levels of toxic xenobiotics e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins. This study examined the ability of Mastotermes darwinensis and Coptotermes acinaciformis to metabolise these xenobiotics when fed paper as a food source. A series of PCBs was used as model lipophilic xenobiotics and fed to two species of termite. Extracted whole termites and their faeces were analysed for content of PCBs and metabolites. A phenolic metabolite of 4, 4′-dichlorobiphenyl (44-DCB) was extracted and identified from the bodies and faeces of both termite species. 2, 2′, 4, 4′, 5, 5′-Hexachlorobiphenyl (224455-HCB) was retained in termite bodies at a significantly higher concentration than 3, 3′, 4, 4′, 5, 5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (334455-HCB) when fed the congeners in paper at the same concentration.