Claimed health impacts are many, ranging from various hormonal effects to the almost inevitable associations with cancers of, among others, breast, gastrointestinal tract and lung. It is known that organochlorines do bind to, and hence block, oestrogen receptors and that they are transmitted transplacentally and in breast milk. Claims of male feminisation, structural changes in ovaries and testes and falling sperm counts flow from the first observation and of embryo deformity, low birth weight and structural bone changes from the second. Of the organochlorines, dioxins and PCBs have attracted most attention. Dioxins Dioxins arise from a number of chemical manufacturing processes involving chlorine and from the burning of such materials as petrol, wood, coal and, of particular note, clinical waste.
Dioxins have no use as such.
Although all dioxins are closely related chemically, they do vary in toxicity such that a mathematical formula is required to summate the toxic potential of a mixture of dioxins. The British Government stance has been to do nothing until the American study result was available so we can now, in there is any logic left in the world, anticipate new legislation on dioxin generation. The first of these is difficult to sell - particularly as the EC is keen on incinerating everything. The EC is currently considering the whole issue of waste disposal and has spit waste into seven 'streams' and tasked individual member governments with a stream - the British, through the Department of Health, have been tasked with clinical waste management. Dioxins in PVC Food Packaging MAFF have recently completed a survey into the levels of dioxins in food-contact materials on sale in the UK and into the leaching of dioxins into food.