In This Section:

• Background Information
• Class Action Law Suit
• Links to Michigan Contamination Issues
• In the News
  • Dioxin Testing
  • Dow Cleanup
  • Dioxin Suit

Dioxin and Persistent Toxics at Dow

Dioxins are a general scientific term used for a group of 210 chlorinated substances -- dioxins and furans -- which all exhibit similar chemical and physical properties. Seventeen members of this group are considered most toxic. (Source: USEPA, Draft Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds, September 2001)

Dow produces an array of products which can lead to the emission of dioxins. According to industry data, dioxins are produced and emitted in the production of vinyl chloride monomers (VCM’s), for instance. Dow is one of the world’s largest producers of these feedstocks -- materials that are the components of polyvinyl chloride plastics. When polyvinyl chloride products are disposed after use, their incineration is also believed by many experts to lead to the generation of dioxin at the point of use or disposal, for instance, in municipal incineration or in house, car, or landfill fires. While the amount of dioxins released depends most importantly on combustion conditions and control technologies, dioxin is indisputably released. (Source: USEPA, Draft Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds, September 2001)

Dow also produces a variety of chemicals that can be associated with dioxin formation either during manufacture, or during disposal if incinerated. Those chemicals include chlorinated pesticides, chlorinated solvents, and elemental chlorine. The environmental advocacy group Greenpeace has targeted Dow as one of the leading root sources of dioxin given the company’s product line and an assessment of dioxin formation associated with the entire life cycle of the company’s products. (Source: Greenpeace, Dow Brand Dioxin, 1995)

The Environmental Protection Agency issued its Updated Draft Reassessment of Dioxin in 2001. The in-depth scientific review, the most exhaustive review of a single compound ever undertaken by the agency, affirmed and amplified the already known hazards of dioxins. In our opinion, the study made it clearer than ever that dioxins are potent chemicals that produce a wide variety of effects in animals. Most scientists believe animal studies are good indicators of potential problems in humans. There is also human evidence that dioxin is toxic in tiny amounts, and can disrupt many systems of the body. The large body of evidence on dioxin has demonstrated effects including cancer, reproductive and developmental effects, disruption of normal hormone functions, skin rashes (chloracne), immune suppression, and liver damage.

The biggest change in the new draft is that EPA has found that the cancer risk from exposure to dioxin is 10 times greater than reported in 1994. The new review also underscores concerns about the developmental and reproductive effects of dioxin exposure in children indicating that children, particularly developing infants, are highly sensitive and vulnerable to the toxic effects of dioxin. The review concludes that impacts on development, the reproductive system and metabolism—may be occurring in people who are exposed to the high end of the general population’s "background" levels.

In addition, new attention has been focused on the human "body burden" of dioxin – that is, the amount of the chemical found in the tissues of humans. Previous testing has shown that many Americans already have levels of this compound in their bodies, with any additional exposures only adding to that risk.

Persistent bioaccumulative toxics (PBT’s) are substances which are known to persist in the environment, accumulate and bioconcentrate in the food chain, and cause threats to life as a result of their presence. When PBT’s reach the environment they become persistent bioaccumulative pollutants Because of these characteristics, even small amounts of PBT’s, if released over time, have the potential to concentrate in the food chain, posing risks to consumers.

Dow has already experienced substantial financial impacts or potential financial impacts due to its emphasis on a product line focused on toxic products. For instance, the Dow pesticide Dursban is believed to be associated with illness in thousands of exposed people, including potential neurological damage to children. The EPA fined the company $732,000 in 1995 for failing to disclose reports of adverse effects associated with use and exposure to Dursban. Though the company entered a voluntary agreement to end its sale of Dursban in over-the-counter products by the end of 2000, the company still manufactures and sells this product for agriculture in the US. The restrictions negotiated in the US do not apply to all other countries, like India.

Dow pesticide Dibromochloropropane, (DBCP) was banned in the US in 1978 following evidence linking it to sterilization and cancer. However, the company continued production for export to industrializing countries. In December 2002, it was reported that a Nicaraguan judge ordered three U.S. companies (Dow Chemical, Shell Oil Co. and Standard Fruit Co.) to pay $490 million to 583 banana workers allegedly affected by the use of the pesticide Nemagon (which contained DBCP). (Source: Associated Press, Lawyer: U.S. Firms Ordered to Pay $490M, Sunday December 15, 2002)

Twenty-six Saginaw County residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against Dow Chemical Co., saying dioxin contamination caused by its Midland manufacturing plant has threatened their health and left their property
worthless.

Dioxins are highly toxic byproducts of manufacturing and incineration systems and may cause cancer, birth defects and other health problems in humans.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Saginaw County Circuit Court, seeks to represent about 2,000 people who have lived along the Tittabawassee River and flood plain since January 1984.

Dow Chemical said it had just learned of the complaint and couldn't respond to specifics. But the company said it has seen no evidence that property values were hurt and adds that it remains committed to the health of the
community.

"Dow has been working to understand the concerns of residents along the Tittabawassee River and has been meeting with the community, individually and collectively, for more than a year," the company said in a statement.

In the lawsuit, the residents ask the court to make Dow establish a medical monitoring trust fund for them. The fund would pay for dioxin poisoning testing and treatment, as well as for studies of the toxins' effects and
possible cures.

Tittabawassee River Watch

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

The River Speaks

Ecology Center

In the News

Researchers from UM to collect local data for dioxin study
Monday, May 02, 2005 , Citizen Patriot, By Brian Wheeler, Staff Writer

A study of how Dow Chemical Co. affects the health of its mid-Michigan neighbors might also say something about Jackson County's own experience with toxic chemicals.

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SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) -- Dow Chemical Co. Is steam-cleaning carpets, purging ventilation ducts and even wiping the dust from the tops of refrigerators as part of a state-mandated dioxin remediation plan along the Tittabawassee River.

The state Department of Environmental Quality has deemed 330 households along the river the most contaminated. The properties were flooded last spring and presumably have dioxin levels above 1,000 parts per trillion, The Saginaw News reported.

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THE SAGINAW NEWS: Warnings of dioxin contamination at Imerman Memorial Park likely contributed to a sharp revenue decline at the Saginaw Township park this summer, officials say. "I'm sure (contamination) had something to do with it," said Daren Kaschinske, assistant director of the Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, which oversees the park.

Park admissions, concessions and boat rentals this summer brought in 43 percent less revenue this summer than last, the commission reports. Several other factors may have slowed use, Kaschinske said, including flooding that closed part of the park this spring.

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Dioxins aren't just Midland's problem anymore. Harmful levels of the toxic chemicals have been found in the shoreline soils and sediment of the Saginaw River and bay - well beyond the Dow Chemical Co. Plant on the Tittabawassee River. Dioxins have been found as far out as six miles into the bay, said Allan C. Brouillet, enforcement specialist with the DEQ in Bay City.

More testing will be done by the state next month to further assess the dangers to humans.

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Advisory involves land near Dow. For the second time in Michigan, a warning against eating wild game is being issued by state health officials who say dioxin contamination downstream from Midland's Dow Chemical Co. Complex has reached dangerous levels.

The Michigan Department of Community Health will announce today an advisory against eating wild turkey meat or deer liver and urge consumers to limit consumption of venison and squirrel harvested in or near at least 22 miles of the floodplain along the Tittabawassee River. Although dozens of advisories exist for fish tainted with toxic chemicals, it is only the second time the state has issued such a warning for terrestrial animals.

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The state Supreme Court received arguments from Tittabawassee River residents this week, who demanded that Dow Chemical Co. Pay for the needle poke that would diagnose dioxin-related diseases and other health problems.

Residents say dioxin, a harmful byproduct of combustion, has put them at risk for some forms of cancer, liver damage, birth defects and reproductive problems. But the Midland-based chemical giant has put up its fists to avert a potentially far-reaching financial liability. Dow attorneys say the court cannot possibly hold the company liable for injuries that haven't happened yet. State law doesn't recognize that kind of claim, they say.

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The state Supreme Court will decide whether Dow Chemical Co. Must pay for ongoing medical care of residents along the embattled Tittabawassee River. Residents claim the chemical giant polluted their properties with dioxin, putting them at a higher risk for various health conditions.

The high court's decision to hear the case comes less than a week before Saginaw County Chief Circuit Judge Leopold P. Borrello was to decide whether the lawsuit gains class-action status. That hearing will have to wait. The Supreme Court has delayed all proceedings until it decides whether the medical monitoring claim is appropriate.

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