By Lucy Chubb Dioxins are long-lived in the environment and can accumulate in the tissues of animals and humans. In April 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began a systematic reassessment of the health risks associated with dioxin and dioxin-like chemicals. On Monday, the federal agency released two long-awaited draft sections of its report, both of which are subject to peer review and public comment over the next few months. The latest chapters reinforce some long-held fears.
Dioxins can alter the fundamental growth and development of cells in ways that lead to cancer.
They can also affect reproduction and development in animals and possibly humans, according to the new draft report. One section of the draft finds that the risks of dioxins to people may be higher than previously believed, even though exposure seems to have declined among the general population. Dioxins are toxic chemicals that are created when municipal and hazardous waste is burned and when chemicals containing chlorine are manufactured. Dioxin is injested through various foods. A smaller percentage can be inhaled.