The covalent interactions of toluenediisocyanate (TDI) with macromolecules were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro incubations of 2,4- and 2,6-TDI with DNA or proteins resulted in dose-dependent formation of TDI-protein and TDI-DNA adducts. TDI-treated DNA was highly resistant to enzymatic digestion and thermal hydrolysis, but was readily hydrolyzed under acidic conditions by releasing its corresponding toluenediamine (TDA), suggesting that TDI caused the crosslinking of DNA. Reaction of TDI with albumin and globin resulted in the formation of several adducts, and some adducts were formed in blood of TDI-treated rats in a dose-dependent fashion. Administration of TDI to rats resulted also in a dose-dependent binding of TDI to hepatic tissue. Levels of TDI-albumin adducts were 10 times higher than those of TDI-globin adducts; the biological half lives of TDI-albumin and TDI-globin adducts were 1.2 and 12.5 days, respectively. Globin adducts were detected up to 28 days after the treatment. Hepatic TDI protein adducts were persistent for a substantial period whereas the levels of hepatic TDI-DNA adduct were decreased rapidly. These results indicate that the isocyanato group of TDI is not readily hydrolyzed under physiological conditions, is transported to other organs, and is bound to DNA and/or proteins without further metabolic activation. As the adducted products degrade in the body, TDA is released and introduced to the liver. TDA may additionally bind to hepatic tissue after metabolic activation. Thus, the toxic effect of TDI exposure is considered to persist during the lifetime of the adducted biological macromolecules.