Where does dioxin come from?
Dioxin is an unintended by-product of industrial, residential and natural processes, usually involving combustion. Historically, incinerators, the manufacture of certain herbicides, and pulp and paper bleaching were among the largest industrial sources of dioxin. Dioxin is also produced by non-industrial sources, like residential wood burning, backyard burning of household trash, oil heating, and emissions from diesel vehicles. According to the U.S. EPA, cigarette smoke also contains a small amount of dioxin. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s “An Inventory of Sources and Environmental Releases of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the United States for the Years 1987, 1995, and 2000” concludes that “environmental releases of dioxin-like compounds decreased by approximately 90 percent between 1987 and 2000.” Based on recent published studies, levels in our bodies are going down significantly, too. Scientists are continuing to monitor to see if these trends continue. Becaus
Dioxin is an unintended by-product of industrial, residential and natural processes, usually involving combustion. Historically, incinerators, the manufacture of certain herbicides, and pulp and paper bleaching were among the largest industrial sources of dioxin. Dioxin is also produced by non-industrial sources, like residential wood burning, backyard burning of household trash, oil heating, and emissions from diesel vehicles. According to the U.S. EPA, cigarette smoke also contains a small amount of dioxin. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s “An Inventory of Sources and Environmental Releases of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the United States for the Years 1987, 1995, and 2000” concludes that “environmental releases of dioxin-like compounds decreased by approximately 90 percent between 1987 and 2000.” Based on recent published studies, levels in our bodies are going down significantly, too. Scientists are continuing to monitor to see if these trends continue. Becaus
