Alternative method for determining dioxin hazard in food 

‘Dioxin’ is the name of a group of poisonous chemicals that are released as the unintentional by-product of industrial processes and combustion. These substances are difficult for the body to break down, and therefore concentrate in the bodies of living organisms, especially those at the top of the food chain. This research project involved the development and application of mathematical models to calculate the exposure of low environmental concentrations of dioxins, as well of high occupational concentrations. These calculated results for humans can be linked to the results of studies using test animals. This in turn can help researchers to use the results of experiments with test animals more reliably and to estimate the risks of dioxin poisoning in humans. The methods developed will be especially useful to authorities that must make official public health assessments of the risks posed by dioxins and then use the data from these assessments to recommend any possible further reductions in exposure to humans.