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Article: New study assesses risks of dioxin
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- January 24, 1991
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright (null) The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The chemical contaminant dioxin is a less potent carcinogen
than had been suggested by animal studies, according to a new study,
but it may nevertheless increase the risk of certain cancers even at
low levels of exposure.
The study, reported in today's New England Journal of Medicine,
is
likely to fuel renewed debate over how strictly the widespread
chemical should be regulated and how much money should be spent on
intensive cleanup of waste sites.
One prominent researcher said in an editorial accompanying the
report that the results will "shift the burden of proof." While the
overall risk of dioxin is probably "less alarming" than had been
previously thought, the new work will cause ...