Estimating Exposure To Dioxin Like Compounds

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented a comprehensive review of the scientific literature in its 2003 draft reassessment of the risks of dioxin, the agency did not sufficiently quantify the uncertainties and variabilities associated with the risks, nor did it adequately justify the assumptions used to estimate them, according to this new report from the National Academies' National Research Council. The committee that wrote the report recommended that EPA re-estimate the risks using several different assumptions and better communicate the uncertainties in those estimates. The agency also should explain more clearly how it selects both the data upon which the reassessment is based and the methods used to analyze them.

In May 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a scientific reassessment of the human health and exposure issues concerning dioxin and dioxin-like compounds (56 FR 50903). This reassessment resulted in two reports: a health reassessment document and an exposure report which has been expanded to the 4-volume Estimating Exposure to Dioxin-Like Compounds. This current version of Vol. II of that report, "Sources of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the U.S.," incorporates changes as a result of comments received during numerous scientific and peer review meetings and workshops.