title: Assessment of human health risk of dioxin in Korea.
abstract: This study assessed the daily exposure to dioxin using comparable approach methods in order to predict the human health risks of dioxin on the general adult population and incinerator workers in Korea. The health risk assessment of dioxin involved four scenarios (General-Direct, General-Breast Milk, General-Blood, and Worker-Blood). The risks were described in terms of the excess cancer risk and the MOEs (Margin-Of-Exposure) for cancer, reproductive dysfunctions, endometriosis, and neurobehavioral effects. The adult daily intake (General-Direct) of dioxin was estimated to be 0.50 pg-TEQ/kg-day based on the dioxin concentrations in the environmental media and foods in Korea. The average dioxin concentrations in General-Breast Milk, General-Blood, and Worker-Blood were 15.13 pg-TEQ/g fat, 14.57 pg-TEQ/g lipid, and 22.90 pg-TEQ/g lipid, respectively. The lifetime average daily doses (LADDs) of dioxin for General-Breast Milk, General-Blood, and Worker-Blood were estimated to be 1.35 pg-TEQ/kg day, 0.99 pg-TEQ/kg day, and 1.15 pg-TEQ/kg day, respectively. Although the estimated risks of cancer and reproductive dysfunctions were not unusually high in any of the four scenarios, the MOE values for the neurobehavioral effects on infants were not sufficiently high to guarantee the safety against this endpoint.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Environmental Health, Seonam University, 720 Gwangchi-dong, Namwon, Jeonbuk, Korea.
authors.forename: Youngwook
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jiyeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Youngsoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoonseok
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Dongchun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants