Dioxin in the agricultural foodchain

Conference · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6943250

Stevens, J B ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (US)

Incineration of municipal solid waste is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to the current practice of landfilling our garbage. However, the impact of this new practice on human health and the environment is not yet known. Emissions from MSW incinerators have been shown to contain numerous hazardous substances, including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and toxic metals. Of these emissions, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is viewed as the most toxic. Because of its lipophilic nature and environmental persistence, TCDD would be expected to biomagnify in food chains. Because many MSW incinerators are located in rural agricultural areas, it is thus very important to address the magnitude of human exposure to TCDD incinerator emissions from the agricultural food chain, i.e. ingestion by humans of garden produce, milk, beef, pork, lamb, chicken and eggs originating from the impact zone of the facility. This paper discusses this investigation the purpose of which was twofold: to quantify the food chain dose of TCDD relative to a commonly evaluated exposure pathway in risk assessment, inhalation of contaminated air; and to identify the major agricultural food chain sources of human exposure to TCDD.

• OSTI ID: 6943250
• Report Number(s): CONF-880679--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
AIR QUALITY
AROMATICS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAMINATION
DIOXIN
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FOOD CHAINS
FURANS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INCINERATORS
MATERIALS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POPULATIONS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RISK ASSESSMENT
RURAL AREAS
WASTES