Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print EPA reviews Univ. of Michigan dioxin study

EPA reviews Univ. of Michigan dioxin study

October 02, 2009

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development has completed its review of a dioxin exposure study conducted by the University of Michigan in the Midland-Saginaw, Michigan area. EPA found the study was conducted well and provided useful, scientifically credible information. However, the study is of limited value to help EPA fully evaluate human exposure to levels of dioxin in the Tittabawassee River and Saginaw River and Bay.

EPA's review was conducted under the dioxin science plan announced by Administrator Lisa P. Jackson this past May. The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES) was conducted in response to community concerns that dioxin compounds from the Midland-based Dow Chemical Co. had contaminated the city and surrounding areas. The University received financial support for the UMDES from Dow through an unrestricted grant. Primary data collection was completed in 2004-2005 and the analysis of study results continues.




EPA's review identified several significant issues that limit the utility of the UMDES results:

The study did not include children, who tend to have higher exposures to contaminants because they have more contact with, and ingestion, of soils and dusts.

It is unclear if the study included a sufficient number of properties with highly-contaminated soils. Such properties can be found in the Midland-Saginaw area.

It is uncertain how well the study represented people who participate in activities that could lead to elevated dioxin exposures, such as eating local fish and game with elevated dioxin levels.

Additionally, the UMDES included no health status information on the people surveyed. Thus, the UMDES data do not support analysis of the association between dioxin blood levels and possible health effects. Understanding these issues is critical when evaluating associations between exposure and blood dioxin levels in sensitive populations, including children. Also, the site specific data collected by the study will not be relevant as EPA revises its national interim preliminary remediation goals for dioxin in soil.

The study included more than 900 participants and provided estimates of the distributions of dioxin concentrations in blood, soil and dust in the Midland-Saginaw area as well as a reference area for comparison 100 miles to the south. EPA's review found that the UMDES was well-suited to identify patterns of serum dioxin, furan and PCB levels among adults. Among the study's other findings: people living the Midland-Saginaw area have higher blood dioxin levels than those in the reference area and national averages, and that properties in Midland-Saginaw tend to have higher soil dioxin levels than in the reference area. As has been found in other studies, it also found that higher blood dioxin levels were associated with demographic factors such as increased age, dietary choices and being overweight.

Representatives from EPA's Office of Research and Development and Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response will hold a public meeting in the Midland-Saginaw area in late October to discuss the UMDES review. More information will be announced soon.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency



Related Dioxin Current Events and Dioxin News Articles Dioxin Current Events and Dioxin News RSS Dioxin Current Events and Dioxin News RSS
Limited data suggest possible association between Agent Orange exposure
A new report from the Institute of Medicine finds suggestive but limited evidence that exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War is associated with an increased chance of developing ischemic heart disease and Parkinson's disease for Vietnam veterans.

Dioxins in Food Chain Linked to Breastfeeding Ills
Exposure to dioxins during pregnancy harms the cells in rapidly-changing breast tissue, which may explain why some women have trouble breastfeeding or don't produce enough milk, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study.

Agent Orange exposure increases veterans' risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer
Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are at increased risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer, researchers report.

A potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common malignancy and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the world.

Progress made in understanding causes and treatment of endometriosis
Endometriosis is a poorly understood chronic disease characterized by infertility and chronic pelvic pain during intercourse. It affects between 5 to 10 million women in the U.S.

Exposure to Agent Orange linked to prostate cancer in Vietnam veterans
UC Davis Cancer Center physicians today released results of research showing that Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange have greatly increased risks of prostate cancer and even greater risks of getting the most aggressive form of the disease as compared to those who were not exposed.

Researchers identify cancer preventive properties in common vitamin supplement
Early laboratory research has shown that resveratrol, a common dietary supplement, suppresses the abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, suggesting a potential role for the agent in breast cancer prevention.

New study links fate of personal care products to environmental pollution and human health concerns
Parental concerns in maintaining germ-free homes for their children have led to an ever-increasing demand and the rapid adoption of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning agents. But the active ingredients of those antiseptic soaps now have come under scrutiny by the EPA and FDA, due to both environmental and human health concerns.

Agent orange chemical, dioxin, attacks the mitochondria to cause cancer, says Penn research team
Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have demonstrated the process by which the cancer-causing chemical dioxin attacks the cellular machinery, disrupts normal cellular function and ultimately promotes tumor progression.

Firing clay in unvented kilns may be a source of exposure to dioxins
Firing clay in unvented kilns could be a significant source of dioxins in people exposed regularly and over long periods, a new study suggests.
More Dioxin Current Events and Dioxin News Articles
Dying from Dioxin: A Citizen's Guide to Reclaiming our Health and Rebuilding Democracy

Dying from Dioxin: A Citizen's Guide to Reclaiming our Health and Rebuilding Democracy
by Lois Marie Gibbs (Author)

It's in our food. It's in our bodies. And it's making us sick. According to recently released studies from the EPA, widespread exposure to dioxin is destroying the health of the American people. In Dying from Dioxin, Lois Marie Gibbs and grassroots activists and scientists with the Center For Health, Environment and Justice (formerly the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste) describe the alarming details of this public health crisis, and explain how citizens can organize against it.

  Dioxin (Monographs)
by Flaminio Cattabeni (Author)



J&W Scientific DB-Dioxin GC Standard 178 cm (7") Cage Columns, Agilent Technologies - Model 122-2461

J&W Scientific DB-Dioxin GC Standard 178 cm (7") Cage Columns, Agilent Technologies - Model 122-2461
by Agilent

Low-bleed columns are specifically engineered for the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). They resolve 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8,-TCDF from all other isomers in one run. The stationary phase is bonded and cross-linked. Similar phases are SP-2331, 007-23, Rtx-2332, CP-Sil 88.

CBS Sunday Evening News (December 12, 2004)

CBS Sunday Evening News (December 12, 2004)

BERNARD KERIK WITHDRAWS HIS NAME FROM CONSIDERATION AS HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF, FORCING THE WHITE HOUSE TO CONTINUE SEARCH. . . . VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO, UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION LEADER, POISONED BY DIOXIN. HE WANTS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MATTER AFTER THE RUN-OFF ELECTION. . . . CONTROVERSY OVER CRESTOR ADS . . . NASA CHIEF SEAN O'KEEFE IS STEPPING DOWN . . . MEDICARE'S 800 NUMBER IS NOT WORKING WELL SAYS THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE. . . . US FOR SALE: FOREIGN TOURISTS ENJOY SHOPPING SPREE IN AMERICA DUE TO WEAK DOLLAR . . . EDWARD YARDENI DISCUSSES PLANS PRESIDENT BUSH HAS FOR A SECOND TERM . . . PARENTS OF DRUNKEN DRIVING VICTIMS SPEAK TO TEENAGE DRIVERS. . . . MAN SELLING PLATE ON EBAY THAT HE CLAIMS SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC

Dioxin [Explicit]

Dioxin [Explicit]
Hannes Wader (Primary Contributor)



Dioxins and Health

Dioxins and Health
by Arnold Schecter (Editor), Thomas A. Gasiewicz (Editor)

Dioxins are the most potent, well known, and long lasting of the persistent organic pollutants (POPS), and are of great interest in public health, toxicology, chemistry, medicine, law, and to regulatory agencies worldwide. In the years since publication of the first edition of Dioxins and Health, major advances have been made in human epidemiology as well as in animal studies. The second edition updates the science involved in the dioxin and PCB literature.

A Plague on Our Children (Institutional: Colleges/Universities)

A Plague on Our Children (Institutional: Colleges/Universities)
Directed By: Robert Richter
Also With: Robert Richter (Producer), Robert Richter (Writer)



The Dioxin War: Truth and Lies About a Perfect Poison

The Dioxin War: Truth and Lies About a Perfect Poison
by Robert Allen (Author)

This is a book about Dioxin, one of the most poisonous chemicals known to humanity. It was the toxic component of Agent Orange, used by the US military to defoliate huge tracts of Vietnam during the war in the 60s and 70s. It can be found in pesticides, plastics, solvents, detergents and cosmetics. Dioxin has been revealed as a human carcinogen, and has been associated with heart disease, liver damage, hormonal disruption, reproductive disorders, developmental destruction and neurological impairment. The Dioxin War is the story of the people who fought to reveal the truth about dioxin. Huge multinationals Dow and Monsanto both manufactured Agent Orange. Robert Allen reveals the attempts by the chemical industry, in collusion with regulatory and health authorities, to cover up the true...

  Age- and concentration-dependent elimination half-life of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in Seveso children.(Children's Health): An article from: Environmental Health Perspectives
by Brent D. Kerger (Author), Hon-Wing Leung (Author), Paul Scott (Author), Dennis J. Paustenbach (Author), Larry L. Needham (Author), Donald G., Jr. Patterson (Author), Pier M. Gerthoux (Author), Paolo Mocarelli (Author)

This digital document is an article from Environmental Health Perspectives, published by Thomson Gale on October 1, 2006. The length of the article is 8069 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Age- and concentration-dependent elimination half-life of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in Seveso children.(Children's Health)
Author: Brent D. Kerger
Publication: Environmental Health Perspectives (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 114 Issue: 10 Page: 1596(7)

Distributed by Thomson...

Retribution - Dioxin Mix

Retribution - Dioxin Mix
Front Line Assembly (Primary Contributor)



© 2009 BrightSurf.com