Dioxins

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What is dioxin?

Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemicals known. A draft report released for

public comment in September 1994 by the US Environmental Protection Agency

clearly describes dioxin as a serious public health threat. The public health

impact of dioxin may rival the impact that DDT had on public health in the

1960's. According to the EPA report, not only does there appear to be no " safe "

level of exposure to dioxin, but levels of dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals have

been found in the general US population that are " at or near levels associated

with adverse health effects. " The EPA report confirmed that dioxin is a cancer

hazard to people; that exposure to dioxin can also cause severe reproductive and

developmental problems (at levels 100 times lower than those associated with its

cancer causing effects); and that dioxin can cause immune system damage and

interfere with regulatory hormones.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer [iARC] --part of the World

Health Organization --announced February 14, 1997, that the most potent dioxin,

2,3,7,8-TCDD, is a now considered a Class 1 carcinogen, meaning a " known human

carcinogen. "

-->Dioxin is a general term that describes a group of hundreds of chemicals

that are highly persistent in the environment. The most toxic compound is

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin or TCDD. The toxicity of other dioxins and

chemicals like PCBs that act like dioxin are measured in relation to TCDD.

Dioxin is formed as an unintentional by-product of many industrial processes

involving chlorine such as waste incineration, chemical and pesticide

manufacturing and pulp and paper bleaching. Dioxin was the primary toxic

component of Agent Orange, was found at Love Canal in Niagara Falls, NY and was

the basis for evacuations at Times Beach, MO and Seveso Italy. Where does dioxin

come from?Dioxin is formed by burning chlorine-based chemical compounds with

hydrocarbons. The major source of dioxin in the environment (95%) comes from

incinerators burning chlorinated wastes. Dioxin pollution is also affiliated

with paper mills which use chlorine bleaching in their process and with the

production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastics.

What health effects are related to exposure to dioxin and dioxin-like compounds?

Sperm count in men worldwide has dropped to 50% of what it was 50 years ago.

The incidence of testicular cancer has tripled in the last 50 years, and

prostate cancer has doubled.

Endometriosis - the painful growth outside the uterus of cells that normally

line the uterus - -which was formerly a rare condition, now afflicts 5 million

American women.

In 1960, a woman's chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime was

one in 20. Today the chances are one in eight.

 

How are we exposed to dioxin?The major sources of dioxin are in our diet. Since

dioxin is fat-soluble, it bioaccumulates up the food chain and it is mainly

(97.5%) found in meat and dairy products (beef, dairy products, milk, chicken,

pork, fish and eggs in that order... see chart below). In fish alone, these

toxins bioaccumulate up the food chain so that dioxin levels in fish are 100,000

times that of the surrounding environment.

In EPA's dioxin report, they refer to dioxin as hydrophobic. This means that

dioxin, when it settles on water bodies, will avoid the water and find a fish to

go in to. The same goes for other wildlife. Dioxin will find animals to go in

to, working its way to the top of the food chain.

Men have no ways to get rid of dioxin other than letting it break down according

to its chemical half-lives. Women, on the other hand, have two ways which it can

exit their bodies:

 

It crosses the placenta... into the growing infant;

It is present in the fatty breast milk, which is also a route of exposure

which doses the infant, making breast-feeding for non-vegetarian mothers quite

hazardous.

 

Chart from EPA Dioxin Reassessment Summary 4/94 - Vol. 1, p. 37

(Figure II-5. Background TEQ exposures for North America by pathway)

Where can I get EPA's reports on dioxin?CERI/ORD Publications Center

USEPA

26 W. Martin Luther King Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45268

(513) 569-7562; fax (513) 569-7566.

-->They have online versions of some of the reports at:

http://cfpub1.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/dioxin.cfm

EPA's Scientific Advisory Board has completed its reassessment of dioxin.

To get copies of the dioxin report, contact Sam Rondberg at the EPA at (202)

260-2559.

The final final report issued by the Health and Exposures Panels of the Science

Advisory Board regarding the dioxin reassessment is now available. Get your copy

by calling the SAB at: 202-260-8414, or fax: 202-260-1889.

 

 

Environmental Research Foundation's

RACHEL's Environment & Health Weekly IssuesDioxin & Incineration#326Carol

Browner's Opportunity [Jacksonville]#325Troubles Engulf Hazardous Waste

Incineration#314Cement And Kiln Dust Contain Dioxins#312EPA Memo Says All

Hazardous Waste Incinerators Fail To Meet Regulations#311The Jacksonville,

Arkansas Incinerator#280Hazardous Waste Incinerators Fail, EPA Says#179Medical

Incinerators Emit Dangerous Metals And Dioxin, New Study Says#82Incineration of

Infectious Waste: Poorly Understood Hazards#45Part 4: Scientists Study How 'Mass

Burn' Incinerators Produce Dioxin#31Part 1: Do 'Mass Burn' Incinerators Endanger

Humans?Dioxin & Health Effects#463Dioxin and Health#438Warning on Male

Reproductive Health [endocrine disruptors]#436The Dogs of War [pesticides;

antibiotics]#414Potent Immune System Poison [dioxin]#400EPA Investigates

Monsanto#365New Era in Toxicology [endocrine disruptors]#364Dioxin and PCBs and

Endometriosis#353Dioxin Causes Human Cancers#343Do Chemicals Diminish

Masculinity? [endocrine disruptors]#290Dioxin 'Demasculinizes' Rats [endocrine

disruptors]#264Endocrine Disruptors--Part 2: Major Challenge To Business As

Usual#263Endocrine Disruptors--Part 1: Chemicals In Environment Affect Sexual

Growth In Wildlife. And Humans?#219Dioxin--Part 4: New Study Links Dioxin To

Human Cancer#212Report Links Herbicide Exposure To Illnesses Among Vietnam

Veterans#175Dioxin--Part 3: New Evidence That Dioxin Causes Human Cancers &

Other Diseases#173Dioxin--Part 2: Gauging The Toxicity Of Dioxin#171Dioxin--Part

1: Dioxins And Cancer: Fraudulent Studies#120Dangers Of Dioxin Exposures:

Absorption Through The Skin#73Study Of Dioxin-Exposed Humans Reveals Cancer,

Birth DefectsDioxin Politics#479Nationwide Dioxin Campaign#457Dioxin

Inquisition#405Turning Point for the Chemical Industry [dioxin]#391Dioxin

Reassessed, Part 2#390Dioxin Reassessed, Part 1#363Taking the Handle Off the

Chlorine Pump#346Detoxifying Everything [bad journalism]#310The N.Y. Times

Detoxifies Dioxin [Again]#283Army Opens A Front [chemical weapons

incinerators]#275Dioxin Detoxification Campaign [paper industry]#270EPA: Dioxin

Damages Human Immune System#269EPA: New Picture of Dioxin's Toxicity

Emerges#249Dioxin Dangers -- What's Going On?#248A Tale Of Science And Industry

[dioxin]

 

Dioxin Mailing List ArchivesThe dioxin mailing list no longer exists, but its

archives are available at the following pages:

Archives of the Dioxin-L List

 

Search the old dioxin-l archives

Archives since 12/20/1999

dioxin-l archives for 1999

dioxin-l archives for 1998

dioxin-l archives for 1997

dioxin-l archives for 1996

dioxin-l archives for 1995

Ban Toxics ListBan Toxics List Archives (to , send a blank email to:

ban-toxics- )

 

Other Dioxin ResourcesOur Stolen Future (the webpage continues where the book

left off)

 

Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) [formerly the Citizen's

Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste (CCHW)]

CHEJ's Dioxin Homepage

How to Start to Stop Dioxin Exposure in Your Community (CCHW's Dioxin Report)

Health Effects of Dioxins

 

Environmental Estrogens and Other Hormones (Center for Bioenvironmental

Research)

 

EEOH's Links to Environmental Hormone Websites

 

EPA Endocrine Disruptors Research Initiative

 

EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program Web Site

 

1994 EPA Dioxin Reassessment - Estimating Exposure

1994 EPA Dioxin Reassessment - Risk Characterization

1994 EPA Dioxin Reassessment - Health Assessment Documents

endo

95sc

endo3

 

-->Dr. Warhurst's Introduction to Hormone Disrupting Chemicals

 

Reducing Your Risk: A Guide to Avoiding Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals

 

Dow Brand Dioxin (Greenpeace Report)

Full text of report

Greenpeace Toxics Campaign

Don't Dump Dioxin on Us

Toxic Alert: Dioxin

COPA's PCB Information Service (Very good collection of dioxin & PCB resources

-- " Remediation Technologies, Health Effects, Regulations, Superfund Case

Studies, References & More " )

 

How Toxic is Your Diet?

Electrostatic Precipitators Breed Dioxins

Dioxins in Cotton Cloth

Center for the Biology of Natural Systems (dioxin studies)

Dioxin Levels down by 46% since closing of Columbus Garbage Incinerator

Chlorine Industry Websites:

ChloroPhiles (Yes, they call themselves that.)

Chlorine Chemistry Council

 

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

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