Dioxins

Definitions

Dioxins - "Dioxins are a class of chemical contaminants that are formed during combustion processes such as waste incineration, forest fires, and backyard trash burning, as well as during some industrial processes such as paper pulp bleaching and herbicide manufacturing. The most toxic chemical in the class is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD). The highest environmental concentrations of dioxin are usually found in soil and sediment, with much lower levels found in air and water. Humans are primarily exposed to dioxins by eating food contaminated by these chemicals." - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 2011

Dioxin - "The term 'dioxin' is commonly used to refer to a family of toxic chemicals that share a similar chemical structure and induce harm through a similar mechanism. Dioxins have been characterized by EPA as likely human carcinogens and are anticipated to increase the risk of cancer at background levels of exposure ... Examples of dioxin include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzo furans (PCDFs)." - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010

Dioxin - "The main pathway for exposure to humans is via airborne emissions of dioxin that settle on plants and are passed on and accumulated through the food chain. While dioxin is produced in very small quantities in comparison with other pollutants (equivalent to around 30 pounds of the most toxic member of the class annually), its high toxicity and properties of bioaccumulation and persistence in the environment have led EPA to treat dioxin as a major health threat." - Council on Environmental Quality, 1995

Dioxins - "CDDs [chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins] are a family of 75 chemically related compounds commonly known as chlorinated dioxins ... In the pure form, CDDs are crystals or colorless solids. CDDs enter the environment as mixtures containing a number of individual components." - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1999

USGS Information on Dioxins

• Dioxin Hazards to Fish, Wildlife, and Invertebrates, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
• Search the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program's Bibliography for "dioxins"

More Information on Dioxins

• Dioxins and Furans, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Dioxin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Toxicological Profile for Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• World Health Organization Information about Dioxins and their Effects on Human Health
• Dioxins, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Dioxins, Furans and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls Fact Sheet, Ceter for Disease Control and Prevention
• Environmental Contaminants, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Tox Town- Dioxins, National Library of Medicine
• Questions and Answers about Dioxins, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  

References

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1999, ToxFAQs for chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, access date May 26, 2011.

Council on Environmental Quality, 1995, Environmental quality: 546 p.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 2011, Dioxins: National Institutes of Health, access date May 26, 2011.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010, Dioxin: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, access date May 26, 2011.

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