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#390 (05/19/94): Dioxin Reassessed, Part 1 Page 2 of 9 <br /> In 1990, the paper and chlorine industries campaigned to force <br /> EPA to undertake a thorough review of dioxin science (RHWN <br /> #275) . It is now abundantly clear that the reassessment has nc <br /> turned out the way those industries hoped it would. We have <br /> obtained two drafts of the EPA' s summary report of its dioxin <br /> reassessment titled, "Chapter 9 . Risk Characterization of Dior <br /> and Related Compounds, " dated March 7, and May 2, 1994. Some <br /> conclusions of the May 2 draft were reported in the NEW YORK <br /> TIMES May 11, 1994. [1] What follows here is based entirely on <br /> the EPA's May 2 draft. Page numbers inside square brackets refE <br /> to that draft. <br /> EPA has identified 30 dioxin-like chemicals (7 true dioxins, 1( <br /> furans, and 13 PCBs) that have dioxin-like characteristics. <br /> EPA's draft report describes the toxicity of all these 30 <br /> chemicals taken together; in this discussion we refer to them <br /> simply dioxin. <br /> EPA has concluded that: <br /> ** For non-cancer effects, such as damage to the reproductive, <br /> endocrine, and immune systems, in birds, fish and mammals, <br /> including humans, dioxin is much more toxic than previously <br /> believed [pg. 351 ; <br /> The agency says, "Indeed, these compounds are extremely potent <br /> producing a variety of effects in experimental animals based or <br /> traditional toxicology studies at levels hundreds or <br /> thousands of times lower than most chemicals of environmental <br /> interest. " [pg. 1] And: "There is adequate evidence from studiE <br /> in human populations as well as in laboratory animals and from <br /> http://www.monitor.net/rachel/r390.html 8/13/98 <br />