Federal law needed to limit dioxin exposure

National legislation is needed that will provide for the establishment of a national public health education program which addresses the subject of pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction. This cancer prevention education program must include at the very least: dioxins, dioxin-like compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bisphenol-A, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, benzene, and carcinogenic metals.

Here is the information that Americans need:

■ How are Americans exposed to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds? Over 95 percent of dioxin exposure results from consumption of animal fat-containing foods: dairy products that contain animal fat, meats, and eggs.

■ How much dioxin are Americans exposed to? In the 2003 draft of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dioxin reassessment, it is stated that the average American is exposed to approximately 1 picogram (one-trillionth of a gram) dioxin toxicological equivalent quantity per kilogram of body weight per day.

■ What quantity of cancer risk is imposed by dioxin exposure? The U.S. EPA dioxin reassessment provides a quantification of dioxin exposure cancer risk. For the average American, the excess cancer risk imposed by dioxin exposure is 1 in 1,000.

■ How many cancer cases are caused by dioxin exposure in the USA? For the total population of approximately 308 million, the number of cancer cases caused by dioxin exposure is 308,000 every 70 years.

■ What steps can be taken to reduce dioxin exposure? Stop eating foods that contain animal fat. Bring an end to open waste burning throughout North America. Bring an end to the use of animal fat in the production of food animal feeds.

■ Why are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Health Department silent on the matter of dioxin exposure reduction that involves the commercial food supply? Why has the U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused to establish a ban on the use of dioxin contaminated animal fat in the production of food animal feeds? Corporations, including corporate farms, food processing and manufacturing corporations and food distributing corporations totally control government. These corporations are intent upon not losing any money.

More information on dioxin exposure reduction can be found at www.canceractionny.org.

Donald L. Hassig

Colton

The writer is director, Cancer Action NY.