Dioxin: Down and Up

An EPA assessment scheduled for release in June will conclude that dioxin is a human carcinogen, according to a May 16 article in the

Washington Post. While dioxin emissions are way down from peak levels in the 1970s, reflecting the impact of a series of regulations on dioxin-emitting industries such as incinerators and pulp mills, the report indicates that for a small portion of the population—those who eat large amounts of fatty foods—the cancer risk is very high. The risk of developing cancer from dioxin exposure may be 10 times greater than EPA’s earlier projections, or as high as one chance in a hundred! The report also links low-grade dioxin exposure to other health problems, such as changes in hormonal levels.