DIOXINS - THE MOST HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE IN STRUCTURE FIRE ENVIRONMENTS

In structure fire settings, the sheer volume and vast array of building materials, chemicals, electronics, textiles and household items manufactured with chlorinated products such as PVC, create immense amounts of toxic chemicals, especially 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), or Dioxin.

Dioxin is considered the most toxic man-made substance next to radioactive waste and the fifth most toxic naturally occurring compound known to man. Dioxin was an ingredient in Agent Orange and is a common byproduct when plastics, paper, wood, and other products burn. It is so toxic that it is measured in picograms (trillionths of a gram) and even femptograms (quadrillionths of a gram).

Diseases which have been linked to Dioxin seem endless. It is a known carcinogen, mutagen (alters the DNA), teratogen (affects fetuses), neurotoxin, and endochrine disrupting chemical. It can be inhaled in particulate form, absorbed by the skin in soot or ash, and ingested in food. Dioxin is so resistant to degradation that it can remain in your fatty tissue for up to 12 years. Exposure can result in congenital malformations, spontaneous miscarriages, and a fatal, slow wasting syndrome similar to AIDS. Dioxin is strongly suspected of contributing to pathology of the urinary and hematological systems, growths in the colon, gallbladder complications, multiple myeloma, and lung, larynx and prostate cancers.

If you or someone you know is in the fire service, restoration industry, insurance industry, or an occupation where you may be exposed to post-structure fire settings, you need to read this article, it could save a life: https://www.theredguidetorecovery.com/dioxins/