DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTION OF PARAQUAT AND DIQUAT IN HUMAN POISONING CASES AFTER INGESTION OF A COMBINED HERBICIDE

This report describes a slight difference in the rate of decrease of serum paraquat and diquat concentrations in eight human cases of poisoning by the herbicide PreegloxL (containing paraquatCl(2), 5% and diquatBr(2), 7%) and the distribution of each in three autopsied cases. There was no variation between the serum concentrations of paraquat and diquat within 24 h after ingestion, but paraquat remained at a slightly higher concentration than diquat after more than 24 h. The decrease of urinary paraquat and diquat concentrations was almost the same during the 24-h determination period. In three autopsied cases, diquat concentrations in the tissues were relatively lower than those of paraquat, except in bile. Paraquat and diquat were unevenly distributed in various tissues and fluids, but the distribution patterns of each in any particular tissues were quite similar. As no difference was observed in the decrease of urinary paraquat and diquat, the much higher concentration of diquat in bile indicates that bile may be one of the effective factors in lowering the concentration of diquat in serum and in tissues of the human body long after ingestion.