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Dioxin Exposure Guidelines Set By Various Countries and Government Agencies

Source: Chlorine Chemistry Council

COUNTRY / AGENCY YEAR GUIDELINE                          (pg-TEQ/kg-bw/day) DERIVATION SOURCE
         
USEPA 2003 *RfD = 0.001 Range of effects from biochemical to adverse USEPA
         
European Commission 2001 TDI = 2 (day) Extrapolated from a 14 pg-TEQ/kg-bw/week.  The TWI was derived using the LOAEL from a study showing developmental effects in male rat offspring following repeated subcutaneous administration of TCDD; applied uncertainty factor of 9.6 European Comission
         
WHO 1998 TDI = 1-4 Human daily intakes corresponding with body burdens similar to those associated with reproductive and and developmental toxicity in animals estimated in the range of 14-37 pg/kg-bw/day. A composite uncertainty factor of 10 was recommended to achieve the TDI.   van Leeuwen et al, 2000
         
JECFA 2001 TDI = 2.3 Based on developmental and reproductive effects in rodents and monkeys (4 studies), and endometriosis in monkeys; applied uncertainty factor of 9.6 JECFA
         
Health Canada 2005 TDI = 2.3 Based on JECFA TDI Health Canada
         
Japan 1999 TDI = 4 Based on WHO TDI Japan Environmental Health Committee of the Central Environmental Council
         
United Kingdom 2000 TDI = 2 Based on European Comission TDI UK Committee on Toxicity
         
Australia 2002 TDI = 2.3 Based on JECFA TDI Australian NHMRC
         
Nordic countries 2000 TDI = 5   Johansson and Hanberg, 2000; IARC, 1997; IOM, 2003
         
Netherlands   TDI = 1   IARC, 1997; IOM, 2003
         
Sweden   TDI = 5   IARC, 1997; IOM, 2003
         
AEA Technology 1999 TDI = 1-4   IOM, 2003
         
Fiedler et al. 2000 TDI = 1-4   IOM, 2003

*The USEPA has not established a reference dose for dioxin, but predicts that it would be 100-1,000 times lower than current background exposure levels. That theoretical reference dose is represented here as 0.001 pg-TEQ/kg-bw/day.

References

AEA Technology. 1999. Compilation of EU Dioxin Exposure and Health Data. Prepared for the European Commission DG Environment. Oxfordshire, England.

Australian NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council). 2002. Dioxins: Recommendations for a Tolerable Monthly Intake for Australians. Commonwealth of Australia. Canberra.

European Commission, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General. 2001. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food on the Risk Assessment of Dioxins and Dioxin-like PCBs in Food. CS/CNTM/DIOXIN/20 Final. Brussels, Belgium.

Fiedler, H., O. Hutzinger, K. Welsch-Pausch, and A. Schmiedinger. 2000. Evaluation of the Occurrence of PCDD/PCDF and POPs in Wastes and Their Potential to Enter the Foodchain. Prepared for the European Commission DG Environment. Bayreuth, Germany. University of Bayreuth.

Health Canada. 2005. To Your Health - Dioxins and Furans. Management of Toxic Substances Division. Ottawa, Ontario.

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2003. Dioxins and Dioxin-like Compounds in the Food Supply: Strategies to Decrease Exposure. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.

IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 1997. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Volume 69: Polychlorinated Dibenzo-para-Dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans. World Health Organization. Lyon, France.

Japan Environmental Health Committee of the Central Environmental Council. 1999. Report on Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of Dioxin and Related Compounds. June.

JECFA (Joint UN FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives). 2001. Fifty-Seventh Meeting. Rome, Italy. June 5-14.

Johansson, N. and A Hanberg. 2000. Report from a Nordic meeting on the 1998 WHO consultation on assessment of the health risks of dioxins; re-evaluation of the tolerable daily intake (TDI). Organohalogen Compounds. 48:252-255.

Tran, N., C. Wells, and C. Daniels. 2002. A White Paper on Existing Dioxin regulations and Monitoring Program. Prepared for the Committee on Implications of Dioxin in the Food Supply. Washington, D.C. Novigen Sciences.

UK Committee on Toxicity. 2000. Lay Summary of the COT Statement on the Tolerable Daily Intake for Dioxins and Dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls. United Kingdom.

USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2003. Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds. Part III: Integrated Summary and Risk Characterization. Office of Research and Development. December. (DRAFT).