Dioscines are chemical compounds that contain chlorine, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms that are linked in a specific way. Thus, the dioxin molecule contains three interconnected rings of atoms.
Although 419 types of related chemical compounds are known, by the term dioxin we usually mean the most toxic - TCDD. Many scientists believe that it is one of the most toxic chemical compounds that humans have produced, and that only nuclear waste is more toxic than it.
Dioxins are produced by the combustion of organic waste during waste incineration, but also as a by-product in chemical processes in the organic chemical industry. They are also an unwanted product of metal smelting, paper bleaching, and the production of some herbicides and pesticides. Dioxin formation has also been recorded in some natural processes, such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions, but the percentage of dioxin thus formed is incomparably lower than industrial production.
It causes numerous health problems, including several types of cancer
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that short-term human exposure to high concentrations of dioxins can cause the so-called chlorine acne and dark spots on the skin and disrupt liver function. Long-term exposure causes disorders of the immune system, damage to the development of the nervous system, endocrine system and reproductive function. Chronic exposure to dioxin can cause several types of cancer.
The WHO also warns about the long-term retention of dioxins in the environment or the body, because they are very stable chemical compounds that are not soluble in water, but that is why they are decomposed in fats and oils, so they are more easily deposited in the human body. If they enter the human body orally, 50 to 90 percent are absorbed, and they are deposited in the liver and fatty tissue.
90 percent of human exposure to dioxin comes from food
The mechanism of action of dioxin is not easy to determine because a dose that can kill one animal will not harm another. It is estimated that 90 percent of human exposure to dioxin comes from food, so the WHO emphasizes the necessity of controlling food products. Food can be contaminated with dioxin at any time on the way from the grower to the table, so it must be constantly controlled - from production, processing, distribution to sale. So far, the highest concentrations of dioxins in food have been measured in dairy products, some fish and shellfish.
According to WHO recommendations, we can protect ourselves by reducing the intake of animal fat and full-fat dairy products and by enriching our diet with fruits, vegetables and grains.
One of the most famous examples of dioxin poisoning is that of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko, who had dioxin planted in his food. On the same day, he fell ill, but managed to recover. However, the poisoning left consequences on his internal organs and face.
Bonus video:
