With special focus on the 2010 World Health Organization report, “Persistent Organic Pollutants: Impact on Child Health”

Over ninety-five percent of dioxin exposure results from consuming foods containing animal fat: fish, dairy products, meats, and eggs Chart from EPA Dioxin Reassessment Summary - Vol. 1, p. 37 (Figure II-5. Background TEQ exposures for North America by pathway) EPA Dioxin ReassessmentEPA Dioxin Reassessment

Freshwater Fish and Shellfish, ppt 2.2 Freshwater Fish and Shellfish, ppt 2.2 Marine Fish and Shellfish, ppt 0.57 Marine Fish and Shellfish, ppt 0.57 Milk, ppt Milk, ppt Dairy, ppt 0.18 Dairy, ppt 0.18 Eggs, ppt 0.13 Eggs, ppt 0.13 Beef, ppt 0.26 Beef, ppt 0.26 Pork, ppt 0.29 Pork, ppt 0.29 Poultry, ppt Poultry, ppt Draft US EPA Dioxin Reassessment From Table Summary of North American CDD/CDF and PCB TEQ-WHO98 Levels in Environmental Media and Food (whole weight basis)

Quantitative Cancer Risk Assessment for Dioxins and Dioxin-Like Compounds as Set Forth in the 2003 Draft US EPA Dioxin Reassessment

In the 2012 final draft of the non-cancer effects part of the US EPA dioxin reassessment, it is stated that the average American is exposed to approximately 0.6 picogram dioxin TEQ per kilogram body weight per day.

During the time period , twelve girls between the ages of 15 and 19 were diagnosed with breast cancer in New York State.

Animal studies have demonstrated that a relation exists between gestational dioxin exposure and increased breast cancer susceptibility in female offspring (Fenton, 2002 and Jenkins, 2007). A study published in 2008 reported delayed initiation of breast development in girls with higher prenatal dioxin exposure (Leijs, 2008). These research results provide a plausible explanation of the breast cancer cases, which have been diagnosed among American girls during the past decade.

Open Waste Burning is a Highly Polluting Activity Educate on the harmfulness of this practice and prohibit open waste burning. Burning Mixed Solid Waste Creates Dioxins and PCBs

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are contaminants of all animal fats. This contamination has occurred throughout the world due to the release into the environment of man-made substances that are fat soluble and highly resistant to degradation by natural processes. POPs include: dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants, Mirex, Toxaphene, hexachlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobenzene, chlordane, DDT, endrin and dieldrin.

POPs exposure has been associated with increased risk of developing the following diseases and disorders: cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, impaired cognition, impaired immune system function, behavioral deficit disorders, reproductive impairments, mental illness, sexual disorientation and birth abnormalities.

POPs contamination has existed for a sufficient period of time for a large number of people to become sick. Those people residing in the vicinity of POPs contaminated sites: the GM Powertrain Superfund Site located in St. Lawrence County, New York State on the St. Lawrence River West of Akwesasne, the Tittabawassee River-Saginaw River Superfund Site in MIdland County and Bay County in the state of Michigan, the most heavily contaminated portion of the Hudson River Superfund Site in the Town of Fort Edward in Washington County, New York State, and the American War dioxin hotspots at Bien Hoa, Da Nang and Phu Cat in Vietnam have received some of the heaviest exposures to POPs due to the fact that they have breathed POPs that evaporate from these sites in addition to having eaten POPs when consuming local fish and wildlife. These exposures took place in addition to exposures received via consumption of mainstream food supply items containing background levels of POPs.

Several of these populations have been the object of extensive epidemiological studies. Accidental poisoning incidents have occurred during the past 100 years, which resulted in the sickening of large numbers of people. These populations have also been studied.

The volume of scientific literature describing serious damages to health resulting from POPs exposure has grown large. Consensus now exists in the scientific research community that current levels of POPs exposure for the general population are of such magnitude that minimization of exposure is warranted.

In 2010, the World Health Organization published, "Persistent Organic Pollutants: Impact on Child Health". This public health policy guidance document calls for a worldwide effort to minimize children's exposures to POPs.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the world's most respected carcinogen classification entity. Over the course of the past several decades, IARC has invested a great amount of effort in determining the carcinogenicity of numerous persistent organic pollutants (POPs). At the February 2013 IARC meeting scientific experts decided to classify polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as carcinogenic to humans. This is the highest carcinogen rating used by IARC.

Current IARC classifications for POPs PCBs are classified as carcinogenic to humans. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin is classified as carcinogenic to humans. Chlordane and DDT are classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Hexachlorobenzene and hexachlorocyclohexanes are classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Many other POPs are listed as not classifiable due to data limitations.

Consume little or no foods that contain animal fat Consume little or no foods that contain animal fat Buy fat free milk and dairy products, grass fed beef and organic Buy fat free milk and dairy products, grass fed beef and organic meats, fruits and vegetables meats, fruits and vegetables Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, remove damaged skins, Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, remove damaged skins, stems, and tips stems, and tips Eat fish no more than once a month Eat fish no more than once a month Lobby your Congressperson to end the use of waste animal fat in the production of feeds for food animals and in the production of pet foods Lobby your Congressperson to end the use of waste animal fat in the production of feeds for food animals and in the production of pet foods Minimize Lifetime POPs Exposure:

This presentation was created by Debra Kraus, Agent Orange Working Group and Donald L. Hassig, Director, Cancer Action NY. For further information contact Donald L. Hassig; P O Box 340, Colton, NY USA 13625; ; Cancer Action NY websites include: and