Know How to Be Safe from the Perils of Dioxins & Furans

There are two main reasons for concern about our safety when it comes to Dioxins and Furans.
The first is that they are highly toxic persistent chemicals which means they pose serious human health risks when they accumulate in our bodies at high levels. And second, the most common dioxin sources for humans are from eating contaminated foods.

Dioxins and Furans are chemicals known as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). These two families of chemicals are among the most lethal known to science. They are extremely toxic to humans, animals and our environment, which makes the testing, regulation and mitigation of dioxins and furans a vital concern for the entire earth.

Dioxins and furans are not naturally occurring chemicals but are created through both human and natural processes. Unfortunately they are also able to be transported by water, air and soil and because of their persistent nature (they do not break down easily), once they are introduced to an ecosystem, it is easy for them to remain and accumulate, leading to a contamination of the local environment. These contaminations eventually infiltrate the food chain and create health problems for pets, livestock and humans.

These environmental pollutants are formed during volcanic eruptions and forest fires and carried by winds to be scattered across the earth. But the more serious and concentrated dioxin sources are from industrial creation as unintentional by-products from chemical manufacturing processes (such as the synthesis of chlorinated pesticides), metal smelting processes, as well as from the incineration of waste. They have been classified as persistent organic pollutants and pose significant risks to human health. They have even been labeled as carcinogenic by the NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences).

Dioxins and furans health effects on humans are very serious. Their extremely stable molecular bonds combined with their terrible toxicity have earned them a place in the notorious category known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Because they persist for so long in the environment they also have the bad habit of building up over time.  And because they don’t go away and continue to accumulate, they eventually work their way into our food and water supplies, we breathe them in, they get transported by air and water to our soil and they continue to concentrate – especially in our livestock. When we eat tainted meat these toxins work their way through the digestive system and have a tendency to build up in our fatty tissue. Once there they remain, build up and create numerous health issues.  

We actually ingest about 90% of the dioxins and furans in our systems through contaminated meat as these toxins collect in the fats and fatty byproducts of our livestock. Dioxins and furans health effects on humans are many and include:

• Liver problems 
• Weakened immune system
• Hormone level changes
• Compromised endocrine system

Since the primary dioxin sources for humans are from eating meat, seafood, eggs and milk products, how do we stay safe from them other than becoming vegetarians? We need to keep our food products safe, including meats, seafood, dairy products and eggs. Which means we have to have the best food testing procedures in place to protect us from dioxins and furans health effects.

The truth is that dioxin analysis is one of the most complex testing procedures that a food safety laboratory can undertake. Dioxins and furans testing requires a high level of expertise. From the extraction procedures and clean up procedures to the instrument setup the data interpretation and calculation the complexities are numerous. Therefore it is highly recommended to contract only trained, dedicated, skilled technicians from certified testing laboratories to analyze food and feed samples for dioxins.

Torrent Laboratory can provide you with the expertise and know-how needed to discern possible food exposure and mitigate any potential contamination. 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, Hawaii and beyond.