Dioxins

Dioxins are a group of chemically-related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants (POPs). They are found throughout the world in the environment and they accumulate in the food chain, mainly in the fatty tissue of animals.

Overview

More than 90% of human exposure is through food, mainly meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish. Many national and international efforts are being made to limit current emissions of dioxins and related compounds, and to clean up past contamination.

Health effects

Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.

Exposure

Due to the omnipresence of dioxins, all people have background exposure, which is not expected to affect human health. However, due to the highly toxic potential, efforts need to be undertaken to reduce current background exposure.

Prevention or reduction of human exposure

Preventive measures are by far the most effective approach to reduce human exposure to dioxins. Such measures include strict control of industrial processes to reduce formation of dioxins as much as possible.

WHO's work on dioxins

WHO is working to promote the sound management of chemicals, and to assess the health risks of dioxins, make recommendations on protecting human health, and provide guidance on methods to achieve safe environments.

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