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#390 (05/19/94): Dioxin Reassessed, Part 1 Page 4 of 9 average Americans -- or levels not more than 10 times as high average levels -- seem to be capable of damaging the immune system, reducing sex hormones in the blood stream of men, interfering with glucose metabolism (a condition suggestive of diabetes) , and causing other negative changes in health and we] being. Table 9-3 shows that the average amount of dioxin in Americans 9 nanograms per kilogram (ng/kg) of body weight; a nanogram is billionth of a gram and there are 28 grams in an ounce. Table 9-3 also shows that sex hormones are diminished in men with 13 ng/kg; altered glucose tolerance has been observed in humans w3 14 ng/kg; decreased growth is observable in humans having 47 ng/kg; endometriosis is produced in monkeys having 27 ng/kg. Within the general public, some people are receiving lower-than-average doses of dioxin and others are receiving higher-than-average doses because of their diets, living near facilities emitting dioxin, exposures at work, and so forth. El says, "Some more highly exposed members of the population may Y at risk for a number of adverse effects including developmental toxicity, reduced reproductive capacity in males based on decreased sperm counts, higher probability of experiencing endometriosis in women, reduced ability to withstand immunological challenge, and others. " [pg. 501 ** Dioxin' s cancer effects are worse than previously thought. E now says flatly, dioxin is "likely to present a cancer hazard to humans" [pg. 521 . And dioxin "probably increases cancer mortality of several types" in humans, EPA says. [pg. 31 EPA estimates the size of the dioxin cancer hazard as follows: http://www.monitor.net/rachel/r390.htmi 8/13/98