Chlorinated dioxins and the environment

Technical Support Document Report on Chlorinated Dioxins and Dibenzofurans Part B - Health Effects of Chlorinated Dioxins and Dibenzofurans

Toxicology of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins.

Severe toxicological responses have been associated with certain chlorodibenzodioxins. One of these responses is chloracne, a folliculosis first associated with skin contamination by chlorohydrocarbons in 1899 (1)). Serious outbreaks of chloracne-like lesions associated with runaway reactions in the production of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol occurred in Germany in the early 1950's (2). 2,4,5Trichlorop...

Immunological effects of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and structurally similar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons cause a broad range of immunologic effects in experimental animals including decreased host resistance to infectious disease and suppressed humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. In the mouse, TCDD immunotoxicity has been shown to be an aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor-dependent process. How...

Metals as Catalysts during the Formation and Decomposition of Chlorinated Dioxins and Furans in Incineration Processes.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are found on fly ash and in flue gas of municipal waste incinerators. Municipal waste incinerators seem to be the most important source for PCDDs and PCDFs emitted into the air during the last decades. PCDD/F formation takes place in the cooler zones (250 °C-450 °C) of a municipal waste incinerator, at the elect...

Studies on the mechanism of toxicity of the chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins.

Concern about the potential health hazards resulting from environmental pollution by the chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans arises from our recognition of the extraordinary potency of these compounds as toxins and teratogens and their inadvertant dispersion in the environment as contaminants of chlorinated phenolic products. Questions concerning the extent of environment contaminat...