Dioxin & EU's Controversial Action on Chemicals

Dioxin is the latest addition to the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s list of substances “known to be human carcinogens” as of mid-February. The chemical is also linked to immune system suppression, infertility and learning disabilities. Although it is no longer manufactured, it is a byproduct of many industrial processes, is produced during waste incineration and is present in some herbicides and pesticides. Dioxin levels in the bloodstreams of Americans have declined in recent years as a result of environmental controls, but it is still widespread in the environment and can be found in very small amounts in the general population. A strategy for dealing with the world’s most hazardous substances was adopted by the European Commission in February. Information on about 30,000 substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproductive toxins, and persistent organic pollutants will be entered into a central database called the REACH system. The chemical industry, not government, will be responsible for testing and risk assessment – a reversal of the present situation. A company that produces a specific chemical will have to supply data on that chemical; government authorities will evaluate the data and decide on testing programs necessary to support its use. Formulators and downstream users will […]

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