Dioxins

What are dioxins?

➔
also called "dirty dozens".
➔
a group of chlorinated organic chemicals with
similar chemical structures.
➔
are insoluble in water but have avery high
infinty for lipids.
➔
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-
TCDD) is the most toxic dioxin.
What are dioxins?

➔
Chlorinated chemicals with comparable structural
and biochemical properties are called "dioxin-like
compunds"and can act similarly in terms of
dioxin-type toxicity.
How are dioxins formed?

➔
natural (through forest fires or volcanic
activity)
➔
human activities
●
municipal and domestic waste incineration
●
burning fuels
●
chlorine bleaching of pulp and paper
●
chlorinated pesticides manufacturing.
●
burning of materials containing chlorine
●
cigarette smoke, exhaust from cars, etc.
What happens when dioxins enter
the environment?

➔
Dioxins in water bind strongly to small
particles, organic matter or plankton.
➔
Dioxins deposited on land bind strongly to
the soil
➔
Dioxins found in plants come from air and
dust or from dioxin-containing pesticides or
herbicides.
●
Bioaccumulation
●
Biomagnification
What are the principal sources of
exposures to dioxins?

➔
through the diet (essentially with fats from
animal origin)
➔
food contamination
●
contaminated animal feed
●
sewage sludge contaminated with dioxins
●
flooding of pastures
●
waste effluents
●
inappropriate food processing)
What are the principal sources of
exposures to dioxins?

✗
the daily intake of food containing dioxins in
industrialized countries are in the oder of 1-3
pg I-TEQ.
✗
breast fed babies' daily intake of dioxins are
hundred times greater than for adults.
What are the other possible sources
of dioxin contamination?

➔
explosions of chemical factories
➔
workplace
➔
accidental contamination
How are dioxins mixtures
accounted for?

➔
each dioxin is attributed a specific toxic factor
(TEF).
➔
The TEF or Toxic Equivalency Factor refers
only to adverse effects (e.g. cancer) following
interactions with the cellular Ah-receptors
➔
this indicates a relative toxicity compared to
the most toxic dioxin 2,3,7,8-TCDD, which is
given a reference value of 1.
How are dioxins mixtures
accounted for?

➔
TEF values are attributed on the assumptions
that a compound must:
1. show a structural relationship to the dioxins
(PCDD's and PCDF's).
2. bind to the dioxin cellular Ah-receptors and
cause effects vis this receptor.
3. be persistent and accumulate in the food
chain.
How do dioxins dioxin-like
compounds act on living organisms?

➔
can alter key biochemical and cellular
functions by interacting with a cellular
receptor called Ah, affecting the hormonal
system and the way cells grow and develop.
➔
tends to bioaccumulate in fat and in the liver
since it metabolize slowly.
Do dioxins and dioxin-like
compounds cause cancer?

➔
there is strong evidence that people
accidentally exposed to the highest dioxin
levels had an increased overall cancer risk
(about 40% increase)
➔
a continuous exposure to between 2 and 7 pg
TCDD per kg body weight per day increases
the risk of cancer by 1%.
➔
also, a body burden of 2 600 pg per kg body
weight increases the risks of cancer by 1%.
What are other observed health
effects?
➔
Mothers that were accidentally exposed to
very contaminated rice oil, leading to an
extremely high body burden of 2 to 3 million
pg TEQ per kg body weight, gave birth to
infants showing severe and persistent
developmental and neurological effects.
➔
In workers exposed to high levels of dioxins in
their workplace, health effects observed
include changes in the blood composition and
increased cardiovascular diseases and
diabetes.
What are other observed health
effects?

➔
Some of the Seveso population, which was
exposed to PCDDs and PCDFs at levels up to
ten to hundred times higher than normal,
suffered some temporary effects, such as a
skin rash called chloracne and blood
biochemistry changes.
➔
increase in male cardiovascular deaths and a
decrease in the boy to girl birth ratio were
observed.
What are other observed health
effects?

➔
Conjunctivitis
➔
sebaceous cysts and inflammation
➔
decreased nerve conduction velocity
➔
fatigue and malaise
➔
skin problems (hyperpigmentation and
hyperkeratosis)
➔
increased death rate from non-cancer liver
diseases.
World Health Organization (WHO)
activities related to dioxins
➔
‘Code of Practice for the Prevention and
Reduction of Dioxin and Dioxin-like PCB
Contamination in Foods and Feed’.
➔
‘Stockholm Convention’, an international
agreement to reduce emissions of certain
persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including
dioxins.
➔
‘Global Environment Monitoring System’s Food
Contamination Monitoring and Assessment
Programme
How can one lesson his/her
exposure to dioxins?
➔
Pay careful attention to fish advisories before
eating fish from the Great Lakes or from
inland lakes and streams
➔
Trimming fat from meat, consuming low-fat
dairy products, and cooking foods in ways that
decrease the fat content may also help reduce
your level of dioxin exposure.
➔
Do not burn household trash in backyard
barrels or wood-burning stoves. Dioxins can
be formed in burning trash and could remain
in your backyard soil for many years.
How can one lesson his/her
exposure to dioxins?
➔
Children should not play in soil or sediment
near sites of known or suspected dioxin
contamination. Children should wash their
hands before eating to remove any dirt, and
avoid putting toys or objects in their mouths.
➔
Clean fill dirt can be added over contaminated
dirt in gardens and lawns if dioxin
contamination is known or suspected. Care
should be taken not to disturb the layer of
clean soil covering the contaminated soil.
Sources

[1] www.greenfacts.org
[2] en.wikipedia.org
[3] www.michigan.gov
[4] www.niehs.nih.gov
[5] www.cqs.com
[7] www.cfpub.epa.gov
[8] www.who.int
[9] www.cfsan.fda.gov