Dioxins and Furans Fact Sheet



Yüklə 15,5 Kb.
Pdf görüntüsü
tarix22.05.2018
ölçüsü15,5 Kb.
#45639



Dioxins and Furans 

What are dioxins and furans?

Dioxins and furans is the abbreviated or short

name for a family of toxic substances that all

share a similar chemical structure.  Dioxins, in

their purest form, look like crystals or a

colorless solid.  Most dioxins and furans are

not man-made or produced intentionally, but

are created when other chemicals or products

are made.  Of all of the dioxins and furans,

one, 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-p-dibenzo-dioxin

(2,3,7,8 TCDD) is considered the most toxic.  

What are dioxins and furans used for?

Dioxins and furans are not made for any

specific purpose; however, they are created

when products like herbicides are made.  They

are also created in the pulp and paper industry,

from a process that bleaches the wood pulp. 

In addition, they can be produced when

products are burned.   



How can dioxins and furans enter and

leave your body?

Dioxins and furans can enter your body

through breathing contaminated air, drinking

contaminated water or eating contaminated

food.  About 90% of exposure to dioxins and

furans is from eating contaminated food. 

Dioxins and furans can build up in the fatty

tissues of animals.



How can you be exposed to dioxins and

furans? 

You can be exposed to dioxins and furans by

eating contaminated food.  Dioxins and furans

typically stay and build up in the fatty tissues of

animals.  This means that eating beef, pork,

poultry, fish as well as dairy products can be a

source of exposure.  

There are several sources of exposure to

dioxins and furans.  If you work in or near a

municipal solid waste incinerator, copper

smelter, cement kiln or coal fired power plant

you can be exposed to dioxins and furans. 

Individuals who burn their household waste or

burn wood can be exposed as well.  Even

forest fires can contribute to the creation of

small amounts of dioxins and furans.

Dioxins and furans have been found in the air,

soil, and food.  Dioxins and furans are mainly

distributed through the air.  However, only a

small percentage of exposure is from air. 

Eating contaminated food is the primary

source of exposure. 



What are the health effects of exposure to

dioxins and furans?

Dioxins and furans can cause a number of

health effects.  The most well known member

of the dioxins/furans family is 2,3,7,8 TCDD. 

The U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) has said that it is likely to be a cancer

causing substance to humans.  In addition,

people exposed to dioxins and furans have

experienced changes in hormone levels.  High

doses of dioxin have caused a skin diseased

called chloracne.  Animal studies show that

animals exposed to dioxins and furans

experienced changes in their hormone

systems, changes in the development of the

fetus, decreased ability to reproduce and

suppressed immune system. 



What levels of exposure have resulted in

harmful health effects?

The U.S. EPA has set a limit of 0.00003

micrograms of 2,3,7,8-TCDD per liter of



drinking water (ug/L).  The Food and Drug

Administration recommends not eating fish and

shell fish with

more than 50 parts per trillion (50 ppt) of

2,3,7,8-TCDD.

Where can you get more information?

Contact your state health or environmental

department, or: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease

Registry

Division of Toxicology

1600 Clifton Road, N.E.,  E-29

Atlanta, Georgia  30333



References

1.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease



Registry (ATSDR). Toxicological Profile,

Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs).   

Atlanta, GA: U.S. Public Health Service,

U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, 1999.

2.

Chiefs of Ontario, Effects on Aboriginals



from the Great Lakes Environment Project

(EAGLE). Fact Sheet 11: Dioxins and



Furans 

http://www.chiefs-of-

ontario.org/eagle/factsheet11.htm

3.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.



Priority PBTs : Dioxins and Furans Fact

Sheet. Washington, D.C.:  Office of

Pollution Prevention and Toxics.

4.

U.S. Department of Health and Human



Services.  Hazardous Substances Data

Bank (HSDB, online database).  National



Library of Medicine Bethesda, MD, 2001.

  

Yüklə 15,5 Kb.

Dostları ilə paylaş:




Verilənlər bazası müəlliflik hüququ ilə müdafiə olunur ©genderi.org 2024
rəhbərliyinə müraciət

    Ana səhifə