Dioxin Testing: Food and Environmental Risk Assessment

What is Dioxin? What are the Hazards and Ways of Prevention?

What is Dioxin?

Dioxins, a dangerous group of persistent organic pollutants, also known as persistent organic pollutants or the dirty dozen, have a highly toxic effect and damage many organs in the human body. Dioxins do not occur naturally in nature. They are formed as a result of a series of industrial activities.

Dioxins and dioxin-like substances include

• Polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDD)
• Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF)
• Polychlorlubiphenyls (PCBs)

There are 7 dioxins, 10 furans and 18 chlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds in food and feed that are restricted by legal limits and must be controlled in line with legal regulations.

How are dioxin compounds formed?

Dioxins are formed when organic compounds are exposed to high temperatures in the presence of chlorine as a result of industrial activities.

• Combustion processes in the industrial field
• Metal processing and melting operations
• Chemical product processing
• Baking the pulp
• PVC production
• Chemical production of chlorobenzene, halogenated diphenyl ethers
• Paint production

The limits of dioxins are determined within the scope of the “Turkish Food Codex Contaminants Regulation”. The regulation specifies dioxin limits in fish products, meat and meat products, chicken eggs and egg products, animal and vegetable oils.

Dioxins are classified as carcinogenic chemicals by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Fat-soluble dioxins can spread to all tissues and cells in the human body. Harmful effects begin to be seen with the accumulation of 14 ng/kg of dioxin in the human body.

What are the harms of dioxins?

• Activates aryl hydrocarbon receptors that cause DNA mutation
• It causes cancer. Liver, breast and digestive system cancers are the most well-known ones.
• As a result of exposure to dioxin in pregnant women, developmental problems in the baby, cleft palate, defective kidney formation are observed.
• Immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity can be seen.
• Reproductive disorders, high blood pressure, skin acne and asthma may occur.

How Can We Avoid Dioxins?

• Not using pesticides and herbicides containing chlorine
• Washing vegetables and fruits with plenty of water in case of pesticide residues
• No use of personal products and toys containing PCBs
• Smoking cessation
• Food should not be stored in plastic products for a long time and should not be heated in the microwave.

Nanolab Laboratories Group continues to provide services within the scope of Dioxin Testing. We also provide services in Allergen Tests.

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