As part of the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study, soil samples were collected from 766 residential properties near the Tittabawassee River between Midland and Saginaw; near the Dow Chemical Facility in Midland; and, for comparison, in the other areas of Midland and Saginaw Counties and in Jackson and Calhoun Counties, all located in the state of Michigan, USA. A total of 2,081 soil s...

Dioxin-like compounds including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) that bio-concentrate, bio-accumulate and bio-magnify because of their hydrophobicity, and persistence in the environment. These compounds are formed as a result of incomplete combustion during cert...

Due to the structural similarity of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) to those of dioxins, PCNs exhibit toxicological properties similar to dioxins (Olivero-Verbel et al., 2004). Based on their high toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and long-distance transmission, PCNs were also selected as a candidate POP for the UN-ECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) POP protocol (Lerc...

Great blue heron hatchlings from colonies in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada are being monitored for environmental contaminant exposure and effects by the Canadian Wildlife Service. The contaminants of concern are polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), primarily derived from kraft pulp mill effluent. The levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in egg...

This paper gives an overview of the development of the environmental or background exposure of humans to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in Germany. To determine the background exposure, adipose tissue, human milk, or blood can be used. The good comparability of the matrices analyzed is demonstrated. The daily consumption of low-level contamin...

This study monitored ambient air concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in three municipal waste incineration plants. Blood PCDD/Fs levels of 133 workers randomly selected from these plants were also measured. The associations between workers' blood PCDD/Fs concentrations and occupational exposures to PCDD/Fs were assessed. Means of air P...

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides were measured in the serum of a sample of the New Zealand population aged 15 years and older. This was the first study to obtain representative measures of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in the adult population of an entire country. Serum sam...

Total concentrations of compounds that can cause activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in extracts of river sediments from various locations in the Haihe and Dagu Rivers, Tianjin, China were determined by use of the in vitro H4IIE-luc cell line. AhR-active compounds were isolated from sediments by Soxhlet extraction, and the crude extracts were fractionated using a Florisil column i...

Gas emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from 19 commercial municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators in China are investigated. The emission concentrations of PCDD/Fs were 0.042-2.461 ng TEQ Nm(-3) with an average value of 0.423 ng TEQ Nm(-3). The emissions of PCDD/Fs from 16 MSW incinerators were below the MEP regulation level (1.0 ng I-TEQ ...