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This volume of the IARC Monographs evaluates the carcinogenic risks to humans posed by exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). PCDDs are formed as inadvertent by-products, sometimes in combination with PCDFs, during the production of chlorophenols and chlorophenoxy herbicides, and have been detected as contaminants in these products. PCDDs and PCDFs may also be produced in thermal processes such as incineration and metal-processing and in the bleaching of paper pulp with free chlorine. Of the PCDDs, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), or "dioxin", has attracted the greatest concern.
PCDDs and PCDFs are ubiquitous in soil, sediment, and air, persist in the environment, and accumulate in animal fat. Excluding occupational and accidental exposures, most human exposure to these compounds occurs from the consumption of meat, milk, eggs, fish, and related products. Occupational exposures at higher levels have occurred since the 1940s as a result of the production and use of chlorophenols and chlorophenoxy herbicides and, for PCDFs, in metal production and recycling. Even higher exposures have occurred in sporadic industrial accidents and following incidents of rice oil contamination. The evaluation, which considered abundant human and animal carcinogenicity data, found strong evidence from epidemiological studies in humans that exposure to 2,3,7,8-TCDD produces increased risks for all cancer combined, rather than for any specific site, suggesting that 2,3,7,8-TCDD is an unprecedented multi-site carcinogen with no single site predominating. Citing data from animal studies and other lines of evidence, the monograph concludes that 2,3,7,8-TCDD is carcinogenic to humans. Other polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and dibenzo-para-dioxin could not be classified as to their carcinogenicity to humans.
For PCDFs, the evaluation considered evidence from two large poisoning incidents involving rice oil contamination in Japan and Taiwan. Although excessive mortality from liver cancer was observed in long-term follow-up of the Japanese cases, the report cited other factors, including a high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection in the geographical area concerned, as possible explanations. Evidence of carcinogenicity to human was judged inadequate. In the absence of convincing data from experimental animals, PCDFs could not be classified as to their carcinogenicity to humans.
Contents
- NOTE TO THE READER
- LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
- PREAMBLE
- THE MONOGRAPHS
- APPENDIX 1. TABLES ON OCCURRENCE (PCDDs)
- APPENDIX 2. TABLES ON OCCURRENCE (PCDFs)
- APPENDIX 3. GENETIC AND RELATED EFFECTS
- REFERENCES
- SUMMARY OF FINAL EVALUATIONS
- ABBREVIATIONS
- SUPPLEMENTARY CORRIGENDA TO VOLUMES 1–69
- IARC MONOGRAPHS ON THE EVALUATION OF CARCINOGENIC RISKS TO HUMANS
Corrigenda to the IARC Monographs are published online at http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Publications/corrigenda.php.
Corrigenda to Volume 69. (PDF, 40K)
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IARC MONOGRAPHS
In 1969, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) initiated a programme on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans involving the production of critically evaluated monographs on individual chemicals. The programme was subsequently expanded to include evaluations of carcinogenic risks associated with exposures to complex mixtures, life-style factors and biological agents, as well as those in specific occupations.
The objective of the programme is to elaborate and publish in the form of monographs critical reviews of data on carcinogenicity for agents to which humans are known to be exposed and on specific exposure situations; to evaluate these data in terms of human risk with the help of international working groups of experts in chemical carcinogenesis and related fields; and to indicate where additional research efforts are needed.
This project is supported by PHS Grant No. 5-UO1 CA33193-15 awarded by the United States National Cancer Institute, Department of Health and Human Services. Additional support has been provided since 1986 by the European Commission.
- ©International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1997
IARC Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans/
- IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans (1997 : Lyon France).
- (IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans; 69)
- 1. Polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins — congresses 2. Polychlorinated dibenzofurans — congresses I. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans II. Series
- ISBN 92 832 1269 X (NLM Classification: W 1)
- ISSN 0250-9555
Publications of the World Health Organization enjoy copyright protection in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention.
All rights reserved. Application for rights of reproduction or translation, in part or in toto, should be made to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
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