Characterisation of the toxic metabolite(s) of naphthalene

Abstract The toxicity of naphthalene and its metabolites has been investigated in vitro. Both naphthalene and its metabolite 1-naphthol were bioactivated by human hepatic microsomes to metabolite(s) which were toxic to mononuclear leucocytes (MNL). However, 1-naphthol was more cytotoxic than naphthalene (49.8 ± 13.9% vs. 19.0 ± 10.0% cell death; P