Dioxins and Furans are Cancer & Heart Disease Causing Agents
1. Overview about Dioxins & Furans
Dioxins are a family of natural and human-made compounds sharing distinctive chemical structures and characteristics. A wide range of these dioxin-like compounds are considered to be significantly toxic and a contributing cause of diseases. There are several hundred dioxins, that can be broken down into three family groupings known as::
- chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) – Dioxins
- chlorinated dibenzofurans (CDFs) – Furans
- some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
CDDs and CDFs are not created intentionally but are inadvertently produced through human activities (industrial and chemical production, incineration) or because of natural processes (forest fires, volcanic eruptions). They are some of the most lethal families of chemicals known to scientists.
Many dioxins endure in the environment, are extraordinarily resistant to environmental degradation, and for that reason are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Dioxin contamination has been somewhat mitigated in the US and other developed nations but has increased as a persistent problem in numerous developing countries, particularly from uncontrolled burning and dismantling and recycling of electronics, like cell phones and computers. Still, because of their persistent nature they build up in our bodies (especially fatty tissues) and the cumulative effects present health concerns for us all.
2. How Dioxins and Furans are Causes of Cancer & Heart Disease
A common question is what are the side effects of dioxin? The dioxin TCDD, or Mutagen: is a known cancer-causing agent. Still other DLCs are known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Dioxin exposure has also been linked to numerous other diseases, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and an acne-like skin disease called chloracne, a tell tale sign of dioxin exposure. These and many other health issues are potential side effects of dioxin build up in the human body.
A 1995 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, studied workers at a German pesticide plant found an increase in all deaths, cancer deaths, and deaths due to heart disease, when compared to the control group.
“Employees with the highest dioxin exposures were three times more likely to die from cancer, and nearly three times as likely to die from ischemic heart disease [narrowing of arteries leading to heart attack], compared to the control group, thereby confirming a dose-response relationship.” https://corporate.findlaw.com/human-resources/dioxin-proven-to-cause-cancer-and-heart-disease.html
These and many other serious problems have been added to the growing list of the side effects of dioxin on human health.
3. Why choose Torrent Laboratory for Dioxins and Furans testing?
Dioxins and Furans are considered persistent pollutants. 2,3,7,8 TCDD is one of the most toxic substances on the planet. Dioxins and furans are not easy to remediate and can persist in the environment for substantial periods of time. As a result, there is a heightened focus on these substances for environmental site assessment and clean up. Because of their persistent nature in soils and water and because of the effects of dioxin on human health, dioxins and furans are also increasingly being included in the evaluation process for real estate development and purchases.
Humans ingest about 90% of our dioxins and furans through contaminated food because these toxins collect in the fats and fatty byproducts of animals we eat. To identify and mitigate concentrations of these chemicals we must continually test for them in our soils, waters, indoor air and use mitigation strategies to remove them from our environments. Marine sediments and seafood products exposed to dioxins and furans can contain very high concentrations of PCDD/PCDF. Consequently, there has been a significant increase in federal, state and municipal requirements for the monitoring of marine environments and seafood.
Torrent Lab offers a full list of dioxin and furan testing with the fastest turnaround time in North America. Torrent Laboratory provides the most advanced capabilities in the region. Our full-service lab offers a host of advantages including:
- Highest certifications
- Fastest possible TAT in the industry
- Unrivaled technical and customer support
- Unparalleled on-time performance
- Impeccable quality
- Competitive pricing
- Convenient geographic location
Trust Torrent as your premier environmental testing laboratory for California and Hawaii.
