Are dioxins natural or man made?
Both. Dioxins are found in soil, sediment, air, and water all over the world. They are commonly associated with combustion, like that related to forest fires, volcanoes, wood burning, domestic heaters, municipal or backyard trash burning, wastewater plant incinerators, energy production, and automobile exhaust. For instance, the recent fires in California that destroyed homes and trees created dioxins. The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 created dioxins as well, and spread them throughout the coastal area of the northwest. The Interagency Working Group on dioxin (Dioxin IWG) estimates that “almost every living creature” has been exposed to dioxins. This group includes representatives from the following federal agencies: Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture, Department of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, Department of State, and Executive Office of the President.
