Guest guest Posted April 5, 2003 Report Share Posted April 5, 2003 Dioxin Homepage Dioxin Articles (Incineration, Health Effects, Dioxin Politics) Dioxin Mailing List Archives Other Dioxin Resources Online 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 Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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