Dioxin, why it is dangerous for man’s health

The dioxins are substances that are toxic to humans and are released into the environment by natural combustion processes (such as forest fires or volcano gas emissions) or by specific human activities such as waste incineration or industrial production processes.

Foods such as meat, some types of fish, cheese and dairy products also contain high levels of dioxins. Other possible routes of exposure include inhalation and ingestion of dust or soil, or skin contact.

Dioxins in humans

Dioxins in humans are present in measurable amounts, and this amount depends on how long one has been exposed to dioxins and the doses of this. Dioxins are dangerous to humans because if exposure is limited in time but high levels of dioxin are involved, they can occur:

• skin diseases
• alterations in liver function
• difficulty with glucose metabolism

Exposure to lower doses of dioxins, but for longer periods of time instead can:

• cause damage to both the immune and endocrine systems
• interfere with the physiological balance of thyroid and steroid hormones
• determine effects on the development of the fetus, when the’exposure occurs during pregnancy.

In general, then, dioxins are considered carcinogenic to humans because they can lead to cancers of lymphatic tissue, cancers of hematopoietic tissue, and various forms of leukemia.