  The fate of metals after they are released in starburst episodes is still
unclear. What phases of the interstellar medium are involved, in which
timescales? Evidence has grown over the past few years that the neutral phase
of blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies may be metal- deficient as compared to the
ionized gas of their HII regions. These results have strong implications for
our understanding of the chemical evolution of galaxies. We review here the
main results and the main caveats in the abundance determination from far-UV
absorption-lines. We also discuss possible scenarios concerning the journey of
metals into the interstellar medium, or even their ejection from the galaxy
into the intergalactic medium.
