How do state and federal regulatory agencies calculate permissible levels of dioxin?
The MDEQ and the EPA consider two principal components when determining an action level for dioxin: toxicity and exposure. Toxicity focuses on the question, how much is too much. Exposure examines how and how much dioxin gets into a persons body based on lifestyle and the use of property. To calculate an action level, a toxicologist utilizes formulas called algorithms. They use information such as how much soil a person may accidentally eat in a lifetime, or how much fish from the Tittabawassee River the average person may eat. Then they calculate the algorithm to see how low the level would have to be in the fish or the soil before it would not add enough dioxin to cause a health effect. These are not exact sciences, and many values are debatable, such as how much fish from the Tittabawassee River does someone eat or how much soil do we accidentally ingest? Do we calculate protection criteria for the average person for a lifetime or for the heavy fish eater for a lifetime? These quest
Related Questions
- Why should government agencies at the federal, state and local levels adopt voluntary consensus standards developed in the private sector?
- Is the recovery plan part of the Services’ other regulatory activities, such as section 7 consultations with Federal agencies?
- How do state and federal regulatory agencies calculate permissible levels of dioxin?
