Dioxin incinerator emissions exposure study Times Beach, Missouri

Purpose: To determine whether living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste i ncinerator that was burning material contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorod ibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) increased TCDD and toxicity equivalencies (TEQ) in i ndividuals living near the incinerator. Methods: Participants were randomly chosen from an area close to the incine rator and compared to participants outside of the exposure area. TCDD and r elated compounds were measured in blood serum before incineration, four mon ths after incineration started, and at the end of incineration. Results: Lipid adjusted serum levels of TCDD and TEQ decreased from pre-inc ineration to four months after incineration, and decreased further by the e nd of incineration. Conclusion: Incineration of TCDD did not result in any measurable exposure to the population surrounding the incinerator, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.