Recently in Vietnam, tests have conclusively shown that incredibly high levels of a type of chemical called dioxin, the primary ingredient of Agent Orange, exist in the soil, water, and fish surrounding an old American military base.
In a small Michigan city, 22 miles downstream of a Dow chemical plant, there have been reports of dangerously high levels of dioxin in the waters close to neighborhoods. It seems lately that wherever there is water, there exists dioxin.
What is Dioxin?
Dioxin is not just one chemical. Instead, the term dioxin is assigned to hundreds of extremely toxic chemicals that are persistent in the environment as pollutants; the singular term lends simplicity to describing polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs), which all contain a dioxin skeletal structure.
In the news, dioxin has been seen in the form of the infamous Agent Orange, and also making villainous appearances in places like Love Canal in Niagara Falls, NY, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.
Unfortunately, dioxin is diabolically easy to produce, and is done so often through the burning and manufacturing of organic chemicals and plastics that contain chlorine. They are released from waste incineration, metal smelting, diesel trucks, the burning of trash barrels, and even cigarette smoke.
Dioxins are also products of paper bleaching, and can be exposed to anyone who uses bleached coffee filters (which are the most readily available products).
Where is Dioxin?
Dioxin is everywhere. It is in areas where there is heavy use of pesticides (such as orchards, farms, lumber forests), in rivers, in the ocean, and nearly anywhere else exposed to industrial manufacturing. Paper mills are particularly threatening, as they combine bleach with wood pulp to produce the toxin.
In animals, dioxin is stored in fat cells. This is how the chemical gets transmitted so easily between animals. An American diet, which heavily depends on animal protein, is particularly dangerous as far as dioxin contamination goes. Fish are especially vulnerable; the EPA refers to dioxins as hydrophobic (water-fearing), meaning when dioxins accumulate in water, they tend to transmit to fish rather than simply remain in the watery environment.
According to an EPA Dioxin Reassessment, beef consumption accounts for the majority of American bodily dioxin contamination. Close behind are dairy, milk, and chicken consumption, followed by pork, fish, and egg. Trailing the list is inhalation and soil ingestion.
Because it lives in fat cells, dioxin is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to expel from the body before its lengthy chemical life is depleted.
Is Dioxin Really Dangerous?
Yes: dioxin is considered highly toxic in sufficient levels and is known to be a human carcinogen. Appearances of many other serious health problems have been positively correlated with dioxin exposure, as well, such as spina bifida, liver disease, birth defects, reduced immunity, some types of blood disorders, and even psychological disorders. It’s important to distinguish, though, that these health problems (barring cancer) haven’t been conclusively shown to manifest because of dioxin; they just exhibit strong correlation.
How to Avoid Dioxin
Of course, the most obvious way to avoid contact with dioxin is to abstain from eating meat, drinking milk, and smoking cigarettes. This (the two former, anyway) is unrealistic, as most people are unwilling to be on a vegan diet. There are, however, some steps to take in order to decrease dioxin exposure.
- Eat more meat substitutes, when possible; they have negligible dioxin levels.
- Drink skim milk, rather than the fattier varieties. Remember, dioxins live most easily in the fats of animals. Also, eat low- or non-fat ice cream and cheeses.
- Limit consumption of ocean fish, and avoid freshwater fish, if possible. As mentioned above, the hydrophobic dioxins accumulate easily and readily in fish.
- Try to limit or avoid contact with compounds containing the word “chloro” in the name (including chlorine bleach).
- Use unbleached paper, especially napkins and coffee filters.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
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