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Dioxins in nature010/2008 Environmentalists frequently attribute levels of dioxins found in the environment to the production and disposal of chlorinated products, such as PVC. However, it is not justifiable to claim that they are primarily the result of man-made chlorine processes. Practically all types of combustion processes (from your fire place at home to smoking cigarettes and body cremation) generate dioxins. Forest fires and volcanic eruptions are very important sources of dioxin in the environment. In recent years, scientists have found that many chlorinated and halogenated compounds have been formed naturally in the environment long before chlorine was discovered. For example, dioxins have been found by Japanese scientists in sediment up to 8,000 years old. Looking for scientific data on dioxins and their sister molecules furans in the environment? Read our Science Dossier on the matter (PFD-file). |