Contamination of Dioxins in Foods

Abstract

Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds are complex chemical materials occurring as intermediates and byproducts during the production process of chlorination in many chemical industries. Dioxins can conserve their stable chemical structure in natural environment due to their hydrophilic physical character and low solubility in water. They accumulate in both food and living body because they have lipophilic physical character that makes them be able to dissolve only in fatty tissue, their catabolism can occur only at higher temperatures. Since the mechanism of disintegration in the living body is so difficult, dioxins lead to many adverse effects on human health and cause diseases such as cancers, chloroacne, wasting syndrome, growing abnormalities, congenital anomaly etc. It is very important to determine the presence and levels of the dioxin complex compounds in both ecosystem and industrial processes according to the statutory legislation for protecting the health of living beings and preventing environmental pollution.