Dioxins

Lead Author: Sidney Draggan (other articles)

Content Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture (other articles)

Article Topics: Agriculture and food, Biosecurity, Consumer issues, Ecotoxicology, Human health, Toxicology and Risk assessment

This article has been reviewed and approved by the following Topic Editor: Michelle Miller (other articles)

Last Updated: June 6, 2007

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) defines Dioxins as:

A group of chemical compounds that share certain similar chemical structures and biological characteristics. Dioxins are present in the environment all over the world.

Within animals, dioxins tend to accumulate in fat. About 95% of the average person’s exposure to dioxins occurs through consumption of food, especially food containing animal fat.

Scientists and health experts are concerned about dioxins because studies have shown that exposure may cause a number of adverse health effects.

Citation

Draggan, Sidney (Lead Author); U.S. Department of Agriculture (Content source); Michelle Miller (Topic Editor). 2007. "Dioxins." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [Published in the Encyclopedia of Earth June 6, 2007; Retrieved March 21, 2010]. <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Dioxins>

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