DIOXIN,
CHICKENS AND EGGS
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The Facts
At the end of may 1999, Belgium was shocked by a serious contamination
of food. As wel as in chicken meat as in eggs of some growers, high
levels of dioxin were found. Also PCB's, dioxin-like chemicals, be it
much less toxic, were found at high levels... See also the messages at
the web site of the federal Belgian government.
As far as today (July 6 1999) is known, the pollution is probably
the result of a contamination with PCB's, which might be from used
transformers, that has been mixed in some way with old oil from french
fries baking. If that was by accident or purposefully, is still unknown.
If it is the first, that is gross negligence, in the other case it is
pure criminal.
The production of PCB's was stopped already twenty years ago in Western
Europe and the content of used transformers must be collected by
certified waste firms to be destructed at very high temperature in
special incinerators.
The most striking point in this case is the frightening lack of
quality control at every level, as good as from the suppliers of
recycled oils and fats as of the animal fat factory as of the animal
feed firms and especially of the government. It was only when the
chickens died by the contamination that inspectors of the insurance
company did find the high contamination. As condemnable is the fact that
the government at the moment that the facts - at the end of April -
where known, didn't take any measure, neither informed the population.
Be it that most of the chickens and eggs probably already were consumed.
Health risks by eating these eggs and chickens.
It is sure that some dioxins are very toxic substances. Be it not (any
more) the most toxic substances made by mankind (and nature). That
record have some nitrated aromatics which can be found in diesel
exhaust. But in no case one should ingest too much dioxins (see How toxic are dioxins). Lucky for
us, even here it still are very small quantities. Based on what is known
today, somebody who has eaten a contaminated egg every day during 30
days, will have app. 20% more dioxin in the body than before (see for
the calculations by German toxicologists the Geo-Wissenschaft web site
- in German).
The possibility of developing cancer as result of dioxin
contamination is only seen at people which were involved in processes
and accidents where dioxins were set free and have had an intake of
100-10,000 times higher levels than normal during prolonged periods.
Below 100 times more than normal, no extra cases of cancer were observed
(even not in Seveso).
Most toxicologists assume that there will not be any extra risk of
cancer, only a few expect between 8 and 800 extra cases of cancer on a
population of 10 million. For other countries, which received much less
contaminated chicken meat or eggs, the risk is even less.
Other health risks
According to investigations that have been carried out after the
incident in Seveso, it is clear that no extra adverse health effects
occured until now. Even for children, born from parents with high levels
of dioxin, no abnormal high level of birth defects were found (see also other deseases in Seveso).
Sources of dioxin.
There are many sources of dioxin. To form dioxin, you need carbon,
chlorine and oxygen and the right circumstances. Because carbon,
chlorine and oxygen are everywhere present in nature, even in ambient
air, the process conditions are the most important factor in dioxin
formation. Especially incineration at too low temperature is one of the
most important sources (see Sources of
dioxin). That is the case for waste incineration as wel as for wood
stoves, open fire places, and smoking. The amount of chlorine doesn't
play any important role (see chlorine input
and dioxin output at different processes). The incineration of
clean, dry wood (app. 0.15% chlorine) in an open fire place emits more
dioxin than an accidental fire where large quantities of PVC (57%
chlorine) were involved. Also at some chemical processes dioxins are
formed (but these are NOT dumped in the environment!).
Greenpeace abuses this horrible story to declare again that with the
production and incineration of PVC, dioxins are formed. While that
essentially is true, they forget to tell you that their action ships,
even if they use totally chlorine free fuel, emit MORE dioxin per ton
fuel use than the production and the incineration (in a modern
incinerator) of one ton of PVC (see emissions
of seaships)... Neither of these emissions pose a threat to the
health of anybody.
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On the net: 6 June, 1999.
Last update: 6 February, 2006.
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