AmeriScan: May 17, 2000
Washington, DC, May 17, 2000 (ENS) – A draft report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), obtained Tuesday by the “Washington Post,” concludes for the first time that the chemical dioxin is a “human carcinogen.” The report also projects risks from dioxin exposure that are about 10 times as high as previous estimates.
Although there are some natural sources of dioxin, most dioxin found in the environment comes from industrial sources – medical and municipal waste incineration and the production of pulp and paper products that uses chlorine in the bleaching process. An EPA report in January fingered backyard trash burning as another major source of dioxin. Dioxin was the chemical in the defoliant Agent Orange that has been linked to numerous illnesses in Vietnam veterans. Environmental levels of dioxin peaked in the 1970s before many sources came under EPA regulations aimed at reducing their hazards. Between 1987 and 1995, industrial emissions of dioxins have fallen by about 80 percent, the EPA says. Additional rules introduced in recent years will place new restrictions on dioxin sources.
Because dioxin builds up in fatty tissues, people who eat large amounts of fatty animal foods such as meat, cheese and other dairy products, could run a one in 100 risk of developing cancer, the EPA draft says. Exposure to low amounts of the chemical have been linked to developmental and hormonal problems, particularly in children, who may ingest dioxin in breast milk. EPA’s dioxin reassessment was undertaken in 1991 at the behest of industry, which hoped a review would exonerate the chemical. Instead, a draft reassessment in September 1994 found that dioxin was even more hazardous than previously thought. This latest report, based on recent laboratory studies and huge epidemiological studies from the U.S. and Europe, is scheduled for release in June. “This report shows that dioxin threatens the health of every American,” said Lois Marie Gibbs, executive director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, in response to the “Washington Post” story.
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EPA: DIOXIN CANCER RISK 10 TIMES HIGHER
May 18, 2000
EPA DRAFT REPORT CONCLUDES ‘NORMAL’ DIET MAY CONTAIN DIOXIN
A draft of a much-anticipated report by the Environmental Protection Agency concludes for the first time that dioxin is a “human carcinogen,” The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
If the final report reflects the draft’s findings, dioxin would be identified as one of the most potent chemical toxins known to science. It is expected to be released in June accompanied by an evaluation by scientific reviewers.
For the small part of the population who ingest large amounts of meats and dairy products that are relatively high in dioxins, the odds of developing cancer could be as high as 1 in 100, the report says. That estimate places the risk 10 times as high as the EPA’s previous projections.
Low-grade exposure to dioxin is linked to a number of other health problems, including changes in hormone levels as well as developmental defects in babies and children.