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Article: EPA Links Dioxin To Cancer; Risk Estimate Raised Tenfold
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- May 17, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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The Clinton administration is preparing to dramatically raise its
estimate of health threats from dioxin, citing new evidence of cancer
risk from exposure to the toxic chemical compound.
A draft of a long-awaited report by the Environmental Protection
Agency concludes for the first time that dioxin is a "human
carcinogen." The report notes that emissions of dioxin have plummeted
from their peak levels in the 1970s but still may pose a significant
cancer threat to some people who ingest the chemical through foods in
a normal diet.
Dioxin comes from both natural and industrial sources, such as
medical and municipal waste incineration and paper-pulp production.
The chemical enters the food ...