A number of xenobiotics are toxic because they redox cycle and generate free radicals. Interaction with iron, either to produce reactive species such as the hydroxyl radical, or to promote lipid peroxidation, is an important factor in this toxicity. A potential biological source of iron is ferritin. The cytotoxic pyrimidines, dialuric acid, divicine and isouramil, readily release iron from ferritin and promote ferritin-dependent lipid peroxidation. Superoxide dismutase and GSH, which maintain the pyrimidines in their reduced form, enhance both iron release and lipid peroxidation. Microsomes plus NADPH can reduce a number of iron complexes, although not ferritin. Reduction of Adriamycin, paraquat or various quinones to their radicals by the microsomes enhances reduction of the iron complexes, and in some cases, enables iron release from ferritin. Adriamycin stimulates iron-dependent lipid peroxidation of the microsomes. Ferritin can provide the iron, and peroxidation is most pronounced at low pO2. Complexing agents that suppress intracellular iron reduction and lipid peroxidation may protect against the toxicity of Adriamycin.