LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Dioxin
built 813 days ago
Dioxin is a toxic byproduct of industrial and consumer processes that involve chlorine or incineration of chlorine-containing substances, such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as “vinyl”) plastics. The main sources of dioxins are medical waste incineration, municipal waste incineration, chemical and plastic manufacturing, some pesticides, and pulp and paper bleaching. PVC disposable medical devices, such as IV bags and tubing, are a major concern because they become medical waste, which is often incinerated. Dioxins formed during incineration are released into the air and travel via air currents, contaminating fields and crops. Cattle and other livestock eat the crops and the dioxin enters their tissue. Humans then eat the contaminated animal products.
Source:
Dioxin is a very potent carcinogen and endocrine disrupter. Scientists say it is exceeded in toxicity only by radioactive waste. Dioxin is one of the deadly dozen air pollutants. It is a repeat offender and keeps getting recycled in the environment for years. It lasts in the human body for seven years. For example go see pictures of Victor Yushcenko who was recently poisened by dioxin.
Source:
Dioxin's suspected effects on human health have in recent years sparked public outrage against operators of incinerators, the main source of the chemical. The central and local governments have ... come under fire for failing to properly regulate dioxin emissions.
Source:
Dioxin in building fires. It is impossible to prevent formation of small amounts of dioxin in an accidental building fire by avoiding the use of certain building materials. This is because of the omni-presence of chlorine in materials such as wood and synthetics. Moreover, all materials - synthetic and natural - when they burn emit hundreds of different chemicals, many of which are persistent and highly toxic. In a typical accidental fire, carbon monoxide and heat are recognized as the most serious threats. The best preventive action to take against accidental fires is to install smoke alarms and (particularly in commercial buildings) sprinklers to alert occupants and extinguish fires that do occur.
Source:
Dioxin ... causes a wide range of non-cancer effects including reproductive, developmental, immunological, and endocrine effects in both animals and humans. Animal studies show that dioxin exposure is associated with endometriosis, decreased fertility, inability to carry pregnancies to term, lowered testosterone levels, decreased sperm counts, birth defects, and learning disabilities. In children, dioxin exposure has been associated with IQ deficits, delays in psychomotor and neurodevelopment, and altered behavior including hyperactivity. Studies in workers have found lowered testosterone levels, decreased testes size, and birth defects in offspring of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
Source:
Dioxin has been released into the Great Lakes from manufacturing plants since the 1930s, although no one realized it back then. Sediment cores from Lake Ontario show that dioxin contamination peaked in 1959. But even the most sophisticated equipment available in the early 1970s could not find a trace of dioxin in the herring gull eggs Gilbertson had collected from Lake Ontario nests. In 1974, he found the characteristic signs of chick-edema disease in herring gull embryos. "It was this awful period of time in which you knew you had a diagnosis of chick-edema disease but could not prove it," he says.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Dioxin