Dioxin: EWG Research on Dioxin

Environmental Working Group research on the ubiquity of dioxin in the human body, and the potential health risks from these exposures that begin in utero, is summarized below.

January 2012 — EWG calls on EPA to Finish Assessment of Dioxin Toxicity

EWG letter to EPA administrator Jackson. Click here to download PDF.

Febuary 2011 — EWG to Dioxin Review Panel

EWG Comments to Dioxin Review Panel

October 2010 — EWG to EPA: Put public health first.

EWG urges EPA’s Science Advisory Board to support the agency’s efforts to finally set a health standard for dioxin, a critical first step to protecting public health from this common food pollutant.

EWG Comments to EPA science board

July 2010 — EWG to EPA: Three decades is long enough.

EWG analysis finds that nursing infants swallow up to 77 times more dioxin than EPA believes is safe; EWG urges EPA to finalize its dioxin assessment begun nearly 30 years ago. Read EWG's analysis, presented to the EPA's Science Advisory Board during its fifth review of EPA's dioxin analysis.

EWG Comments to EPA science board | News release

2003-2009 — Dioxin pollution in people

EWG's body burden studies have found dioxin and other chlorinated dioxins and furans in blood samples from 34 of 34 Americans tested, including cord blood samples collected from 20 newborns at the moment of birth.

• 2003 - Body burden: Pollution in people. Dioxin levels in nine people tested for 413 industrial chemicals, pesticides and other pollutants.

• 2005 – Pollution in newborns. Dioxin levels in 10 newborn babies that EWG research found to be contaminated with 287 different pollutants.

• 2009 – Pollution in minority newborns. Dioxin levels in 10 newborn babies of African American, Hispanic and Asian heritage.

• 2003-2009 – Summary of dioxin body burden in 34 of 34 people tested in EWG body burden studies:

  • All chlorinated dioxins and furans
  • Dioxin (2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD))