You can download this .pdf file for your class discussion at:
http://www.natracare.com/help_for_schools/pdf_files/chlorine_bleaching_amd_dioxin_ks4_citizenship_dioxin_pollution_student_fact_file_2.pdf
This is an excellent teaching material for children.
The Natracare Schools Programme | Ks4 Fact files | Citizenship | environment | project 2
Chlorine bleaching and Dioxin
Dioxin is one of the by-products of many different chemical, manufacturing and combustion processes that involve chlorine, including chlorine bleaching.
Chlorine bleaching is an industrial process used in wood pulp manufacturing that is used to produce many products that we buy every day.
During this manufacturing process, dioxins and other toxic elements are released into the atmosphere contaminating water, soil and plants and subsequently the whole food chain.
Dioxin accumulates in the fat cells of the body masquerading as a hormone which can lead to disruption of the body's own hormones.
Dioxin pollution is one of the world's most serious environmental problems. Dioxin is a family of toxins produced through various natural and industrial processes such as medical and municipal waste incineration.
A large amount of the world's dioxin is produced during the manufacturing process of certain chlorinated products such as wood pulp, which is used in the production of, among other products, toilet paper, tissues, paper, sanitary pads and also tampons made of rayon.
Ongoing research into dioxin pollution by the US Government's Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that dioxin is a 'human carcinogen'.
The US Government’s Environmental Protection Agency prepared a report citing new evidence of cancer risk from exposure to the chemical compound dioxin
A draft of the report issued in May 2000 concluded for the first time that dioxin is a
‘Human carcinogen’ and although emissions of dioxins have fallen since their peak in the 70’s, they may still pose a significant threat. Environmentalists in the USA have estimated from the EPA’s risk findings that approximately 100 of the 1400 cancer deaths in the US occurring daily are attributed to dioxin. It also states that the compound builds up cumulatively in the body over time from birth, so heightened exposure means heightened risk
Dioxins released into the atmosphere contaminate plants and subsequently the animals that eat these plants. They are also deposited in the sea through sewage waste and air pollution, contaminating fish and other sea life. Inevitably, humans are exposed to the compound when they eat these plants and animals.
Farmers growing conventional cotton in countries such as India, Turkey and even in the USA are continually exposed to dioxins from the pesticides they spray on their cotton. Poor third world farmers, who grow food crops amongst the cotton, expose themselves and their families to toxic pesticides and dioxin residuals during the cotton growing and management processes and also from residuals on the crops that they eat. There is contamination of ground water. The Ecologist recently highlighted the plight of these farmers in an article called Committing Pesticide written by the acclaimed author, Moyra Bremner.
The EPA’s report shows growing concern over the heightened risk of cancer from high-grade exposure to dioxin. However, it also states that low-grade exposure to dioxin is linked to an array of other health problems. These include changes in hormone levels, developmental defects in babies and children; low sperm counts in men and immune system suppression.
More information on the USA government’s environmental agency report on dioxin can be found on: www.epa.gov/ncea/dioxin.htm
Of great concern to women’s groups and environmentalists is the production of dioxins both in the production of and spraying of pesticides and in the manufacture of paper pulp products such as tampons and sanitary pads. Dioxin is not only harmful to the environment, but also unnecessarily exposes people to low levels of dioxins that can end up in food and certain products derived from wood pulp such as sanitary pads and tampons made from conventionally grown cotton, intensively sprayed with pesticides, and synthetic materials derived from chlorine-bleached pulp such as rayon.
According to statistics, the average woman uses approximately 11,000 tampons in her lifetime and it is, therefore considered prudent to avoid unnecessary additional dioxin exposure where possible. Crops that are grown organically avoid the practice of spraying with pesticides, so it is sensible to choose foods and products made from natural materials that are grown and produced organically. This helps to protect the environment, the health of the farmers working the land, and has the potential to reduce the public’s exposure to carcinogenic toxins. Recent studies suggest a strong link between exposure to dioxin and the development of endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows in other areas of the body, typically the pelvic area, the ovaries or the intestines. This tissue, which would normally leave the body during menstruation, accumulates and causes heavy menstrual cramps and frequently, infertility. The disease affects many millions of women worldwide and the exact cause is, as yet, unclear. However, a study carried out in 1999 by Osamu Tsutsumi, Professor of Gynaecology at Tokyo University Hospital Japan, (2) suggested a strong link between exposure to dioxin and the development of endometriosis. Tests on the effects of dioxin on the human reproductive system, showed that women tested who were suffering from endometriosis had high levels of dioxin in the body.
References:
1. Propensity of Tampons and Barrier Contraceptives to Amplify Staphylococcus Aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin by Tierno Jnr, Philip M and Hanna, B A, The Journal of Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2:140-145, 1994.
2. Results released by Osamu Tsutsumi, Professor of Gynaecology, Tokyo University Hospital and the National Institute for Environmental Studies, 1999.
3. The Endometriosis Association www.EndometriosisAssn.org
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