Dioxins

**Background:**
Dioxins is widely known by an environmental pollutant. Dioxins is used in the United States and in Canada. It is used in meat or poultry, from chickens to hogs. The three main sources of dioxins are the manufacturing of the herbicide, the manufacturing of the microbicide hexachlorphene, and the chlorine bleaching of paper. Other sources are combustion of wastes that contain chlorine residues in plastics, and combustion in engines. It can cause birth defects, developmental problems, cancer, and affect metabolism. Dioxins are carcinogens. The only pro about dioxins is that its compound is used in abortions.

**Human Health and Environment:**
The possible health danger from dioxins that comes the easiest is cancer. The IARC said that the most potent dioxin, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, is a now considered a group 1 carcinogen, meaning a "known human carcinogen." A well known cancer for people to get is breast cancer. Dioxins are well-known their ability to damage the immune system and interfere with hormonal systems. They can easily cause birth defects and inability to maintain pregnancy, decreases fertility, reduced sperm counts, diabetes and many more.

Some processes for these heath complications to occur happens when you are expodes to them.The way we are exposed to them the most is by our food. The food with the most dioxins found in it is beef. In north America that is what we consume the most. Then it is dairy, milk, chicken, pork, fish, egg, and then it comes down to inhelation. In order to prevent from the people consuming so many dioxins, is to retreat to a vegan diet.

When the dioxins inter the body they become all sugars. After that they are stored as body fats. The systems that are involved are the digestive system.

Dioxins is pollutant for the environment, it includes chemicals that is from the waste of car engines that is buried down in the soil or water.

include at least 3 balanced chemical reactions When it degrades it is a family of chlorinated organic compounds, Polychlorinated Dibenzo Furans (PCDF) and Polychlorinated Dibenzo Dioxins (PCDD). You can find Dioxins in refrigerant and in biphenyl as well.

How is it disposed of? Dioxins in soil or surface water takes a long time to degrade because their structure is resistant to chemical or biological degration in the environment.

There is no way to dispose of dioxins in humans. On average it takes 7 years to disposed of half of the dioxin in your body, and then another 7 years to dispose half so technically there is no way to rid your body completely of dioxins. Losing weight- particulary body fat- or having a baby helps some. But there is no way to get rid of it.

**Synthesis and Production/Economic and Political Impact:**
Dioxins are made by by-product of the manufacture, molding, or burning of organic chemicals and plastics that contain chlorine. It is the nastiest, most toxic man-made organic chemical. Synthesis of dioxins happens when you introduce a side-chain with a position and preparation of protein and enzyme combined substance. Refinement of chemical of dioxins is to gather additional information and input from the public and stakeholders about exposure and risk that will be used to revise the risk estimates. The synthesis of 2,4,5-T is similar to that for 2,4-D and MCPA. However, the temperature during the second step must be controlled carefully, because if it rises above 160oC a side reaction occurs, and tetrachlorodioxin is produced. Decomposition reaction of dioxins for T4CDD is: C12H4Cl 4O2+11O2 -> 12CO2+4HCl. Decomposition rate is measured in the low temperature zone (160ºC to 180ºC) and at SV value 3000 to 4000 [m3N/m2h] is approximately 90%.
 * 3. Synthesis/Production**

Drawing/diagram of the chemical’s structure

** Dioxin ** (2 ,3,7,8 -TCDD) **6.Economic/Political Impact**

Most of the dioxin intoxicated meats are imported from European countries. A ban of using the chemicals that create dioxin would be really good in the human’s sense of healthiness. We wouldn’t consume it, or as much of it and it couldn’t harm us as much as it may. It may hurt the economical status for humans because things may be more expensive to make trying to use substitutes for certain chemicals. But in the long run, it should be better for the humans. If Dioxins were banned it would be better for everyone's health and the environment. They should stop making it in car engines and in paper bleaching. It is also found in food, giving humans bad side effects. It would cost a lot to get rid of Dioxins because it was also emitted in the air and in the soil also water. They could only get ban it in food and car engines and factories, the sources of the chemical. Currently in the European Union, it costs £650 to analysis food sample (poultry products).

**Abstract:**
Dioxins are the resulting chemical from the burning and manufacturing of materials that contain chlorine. It is stored in fat, and the even if there were parts per trillion of dioxins found in your body it is more than harmful. Dioxin is a hormone disrupting chemical. if it binds with a cell it has the ability to change the function of the cell which can result in cancers, nervous system disorders, miscarriages, and birth deformity. Because it actually changed the function of the cell the affects of dioxin can be either very subtle or very obvious. It can also affect genes which can result in genetic disorders or affect the development of a child. There is no amount of dioxin that is too little to harm you. Any amount of dioxin that your body consumes and even worse stores is harmful.

Most sources of Dioxin are released into the air. The soil and sediment near the burning area may be contaminated with Dioxin. Rainwater carries the soil and sediment into the surface water. Some companies dump their dioxin contaminated wastes directly into bodies of water. Dioxin does not dissolve into water easily, so it sinks to the bottom and clings to the sediment. Dioxins can also get into the animals inside the water and eventually that animal will be consumed. Dioxin exposure can cause a skin disease called chloracne that can last from weeks to years. It can cause short term liver problems without any visible symptoms. In animal studies, dioxins have caused nerve damage, birth defects and an increased rate of miscarriages and changes to the immune system. The manufacturing and the burning of the chemicals that create Dioxin is regulated by the government, but for reasons that I do not know.

I think that because Dioxins are so harmful, and the fact that even the smallest amount of Dioxin can do a great amount of harm the chemicals that create Dioxins should be banned in use. I think that a study should be put toward finding substitutions for those chemicals because this is ridiculous. And the possibility of a chemical as powerful as Dioxin being my drinking water makes me cautious to drink water.

I don't have an idea as to how much it would cost to find substitutes for the chemicals to use but I would think that it may be pretty costly. Scientist would have to figure out a substitute but also a substitute that wouldn't result in greater problems. But I think in the end and long run it would help the environment and the human race a great deal in general. We'll be safer from one more chemical. And it isn't like Dioxin isn't something to worry about.

**Reference:**
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/faq/fishboat/fish/pcbfaq.phtml http://www.clu-in.org/contaminantfocus/default.focus/sec/Dioxins/cat/Overview/ http://www.agentorangecanada.com/dioxin.php http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/359059.stm http://www.answers.com/topic/dioxin http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/d/dioxin.htm