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dioxin |
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dioxinAromatic compound, any of a group of contaminants produced in making herbicides (e.g., Agent Orange), disinfectants, and other agents. Their basic chemical structure consists of two benzene rings connected by a pair of oxygen atoms; when substituents on the rings are chlorine atoms, the molecules are particularly toxic. The best-known, usually called simply dioxin, is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD). It is extremely stable chemically; it does not dissolve in water but dissolves in oils (and thus accumulates in body fat). The extent of its human toxicity is disputed and the subject of continuing research. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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The human health risk posed by exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants, including polychlorinated dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), present in tire food and the environment is one of widespread concerns throughout the industrialized world (Hites et al. Exposure to polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) and mortality in a cohort of workers from a herbicide-producing plant in Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany. Only 17 of the 75 polychlorinated dioxins and 135 polychlorinated dibenzofurans induce dioxinlike effects (23). |
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