Gibbs, one of the original activists from the contaminated neighborhoods at Love Canal, explains what dioxin is and describes how it affects human health, summarizing the September 1994 EPA draft report on dioxin and important reports published since the EPA report. She reviews the politics surrounding the history of dioxin, and offers step-by-step instructions for grass-roots organizing, creating a coalition, identifying sources of contamination in the community, and shutting down an incinerator. Contains appendices on the chemistry of dioxin, conversion charts, sample ordinances, agreements and resolutions, and a declaration of principles of environmental justice. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

'Now everyone has an opportunity to learn about dioxin and the issues surrounding it, in this well-presented, multifaceted book.' Theo Colborn, Senior Program Scientist, World Wildlife Fund (USA)In Dying From Dioxin, Lois Marie Gibbs and other scientists and activists describe the alarming details of the public health crisis surrounding dioxin, and explain how citizens can organize against this toxic threat.

Incineration has been used widely for waste disposal, including household, hazardous, and medical wasteâ€"but there is increasing public concern over the benefits of combusting the waste versus the health risk from pollutants emitted during combustion. Waste Incineration and Public Health informs the emerging debate with the most up-to-date information available on incineration, pollution, and human healthâ€"along with expert conclusions and recommendations for further research and improvement of such areas as risk communication. The committee provides details on: Processes involved in incineration and how contaminants are released. Environmental dynamics of contaminants and routes of human exposure. Tools and approaches for assessing possible human health effects. Scientific concerns pertinent to future regulatory actions. The book also examines some of the social, psychological, and economic factors that affect the communities where incineration takes place and addresses the problem of uncertainty and variation in predicting the health effects of incineration processes.

In Shock of Arrival, acclaimed South Asian American poet and novelist Meena Alexander unleashes a fury of prose and poetry to confront the stereotypes and explore the challenges facing postcolonial immigrants in America.

Dioxin – Environmental Fate and Health/Ecological Consequences offers a unique, and comprehensive coverage of dioxins and their congeners once they are released to the environment. The book provides readers with a systematic understanding of past and emerging sources of dioxins, current dioxins inventories and historical trends, fate and long-range transboundary atmospheric transport, human health, and ecological risk and regulatory perspective. Providing an excellent analysis of dioxin exposure through the food chain and impact on human health, it also documents the environmental implications of dioxins on ecological flora and fauna. The book offers readers a holistic understanding about dioxins, their atmospheric fate and transport, distribution in various environmental matrices and various routes and exposure pathways through which human beings are exposed to this persistent organic pollutant. It further offers an insight into the toxicological profile and mechanistic analysis of the onset of cancer, remediation technologies, and existing regulatory framework to deal with the problems associated with dioxins. The book will serve as an excellent resource to environmental professionals, particularly environmental toxicologists, environmental health professionals, remediation engineers, environmental regulatory agencies, policymakers, and environmental law professionals.

Erich W. Bretthauer, Chairman of the Exposure and Hazard Assessment Working Group U. s. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D. C. The efforts of the Exposure and Hazard Assessment Working Group were focused on the exchange of information on a variety of topics including research projects, regulations/statutes, analytical laboratories, and methods of exposure/risk assessment involving CDDs and CDFs. It was evident to the leaders of the Working Group that several of the knowledge voids had to be addressed on a fundamental level before expanded efforts could be made. Several questions needed to be answered: • Who has done research on this topic, and what do the data indicate? • Who is performing research now, and what are their capabilities? • How are other nations addressing this problem, and do they have legislative mandates in place? • Is there a general consensus on the topic? The members of the Working Group believed that these questions could be answered by surveying the major participants in the field of interest. Three principal survey efforts were performed by the Working Group, which collected information on research, regulations/statutes, and analytical laboratories from each of the participating nations. In addition to answering these fundamental questions, these efforts also fulfilled the major objectives of the entire Pilot Study. The collection, analysis, and distribution of information on research projects, regulations/statutes, and analytical laboratories were very useful efforts in helping to fill some of the basic knowledge voids.

Have U.S. military personnel experienced health problems from being exposed to Agent Orange, its dioxin contaminants, and other herbicides used in Vietnam? This definitive volume summarizes the strength of the evidence associating exposure during Vietnam service with cancer and other health effects and presents conclusions from an expert panel. Veterans and Agent Orange provides a historical review of the issue, examines studies of populations, in addition to Vietnam veterans, environmentally and occupationally exposed to herbicides and dioxin, and discusses problems in study methodology. The core of the book presents What is known about the toxicology of the herbicides used in greatest quantities in Vietnam. What is known about assessing exposure to herbicides and dioxin. What can be determined from the wide range of epidemiological studies conducted by different authorities. What is known about the relationship between exposure to herbicides and dioxin, and cancer, reproductive effects, neurobehavioral disorders, and other health effects. The book describes research areas of continuing concern and offers recommendations for further research on the health effects of Agent Orange exposure among Vietnam veterans. This volume will be critically important to both policymakers and physicians in the federal government, Vietnam veterans and their families, veterans organizations, researchers, and health professionals.