Mammals have at least two epoxide hydrolases (EHs) with a broad significance in drug metabolism. One enzyme is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and other membranes (EHm), and the other is in the cytosol (EHc). In the present study we found that humans differ greatly in the activities of these enzymes in liver. The specific activities in microsomes from 166 subjects (most of them patients suffering from hepatic diseases), measured with benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide as the substrate, varied by a factor of 63. The activities in the cytosol, determined with trans-stilbene oxide as substrate varied 539-fold among 135 subjects. A subdivision into different diagnostic groups showed an increase in EHm activity (1.7-fold control) but not EHc activity in tuberculosis patients treated with rifampicin, ethambutol and isoniazid. No other diagnostic group showed significantly altered EH activities. Furthermore the activities did not differ between females and males, alcoholics and non-alcoholics or smokers and non-smokers. In the 77 subjects where both EHc and EHm activities were determined, no correlation between them was observed, indicating separate biological control.