23 March 2012
It Took 20 Years ...
... but the EPA has finally announced what it considers to be a safe level of dioxin exposure based on many different toxicity studies: 0.7 parts per trillion in the human body. However, before you get too excited, consider that this level does not yet consider cancer risk -- the EPA is still working on that. Dioxin is a shorthand name for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, one of the most toxic substances known, and a human carcinogen. It was a major contaminant in Agent Orange, but today the major source of dioxin production in the U.S. is backyard garbage burning. It turns out that whenever you burn something that contains chlorine (such as some plastics) in a smoldering fire, dioxin is spontaneously generated.
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They're also implementing a plan to clean up dioxins in the Tittabawassee River. I find it ironic that this river is next to the Dow Chemical Co, the same company in the blogpost I just made who's looking to make 2,4-D resistant seeds, when they argument that they should be allowed to do so rested on the idea that only its combination with 2,4,5-T resulted in dioxins. Way to go, Dow...
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