THE risk of developing cancer as a result of exposure to dioxins is 10 times
as great as previously estimated, according to a leaked report from the US
Environmental Protection Agency. The controversial reassessment of the
threat, which the agency had planned to release in June, also warns that the
chemical can disrupt children’s nervous and immune systems.
Dioxins are a by-product of many industrial processes, including waste
incineration, paper bleaching and plastics production. The chemicals build up in
the environment and also accumulate in animal fat.
After a review of reports published over the past few years, the EPA…
