Studies examined the in vivo binding of radiolabeled 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) to hamster cheek pouch epithelial DNA. Adduct formation was studied as functions of [3H]DMBA dose and of the time after single [3H]DMBA applications in mineral oil. Total DMBA-DNA adduct formation was determined by DNA-bound 3H activity, and qualitative binding characteristics were further studied by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Adduct formation 24 h after single [3H]DMBA applications rapidly increased from DMBA concentrations of 0.05-5.0 micrograms. While binding also increased from DMBA concentrations of 5.0-50.0 micrograms, the variability in adduct formation at 50.0 micrograms was considerable. Adduct formation following single 5.0-micrograms [3H]DMBA applications rose slowly to a peak value of 76 pmol DMBA/mg DNA at 36 h. This level decreased very slowly in a biphasic manner through 240 h, at which time the adduct levels were 23% of maximum. Adduct levels of 1.5 pmol/mg DNA were measured as late as 5 wk after a single 5.0-micrograms [3H]DMBA application. Chromatographic analyses of the 24-, 36-, and 96-, and 240-h samples showed three major peaks which are likely to be 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3,4-dihydroxy-1,2-oxide-deoxyribonucleoside adducts. While these analyses were limited by the small amounts of radioactivity which could be retrieved from [3H]DMBA-treated pouches, the study suggests that the DMBA-induced hamster cheek pouch carcinoma may be useful in some molecular in vivo studies of chemical-DNA interactions in carcinogenesis.