Dioxins

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are two groups of tricyclic, chlorine-substituted, organic compounds. The number of chlorine substituents on the benzene rings may range from one to eight, which means 75 theoretical possible PCDDs and 135 possible PCDFs congeners, identified in general by the name “dioxins”. Dioxins are non-polar, lipophilic and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are able to biomagnify and bioconcentrate in the food web and cause a whole spectrum of potentially serious health problems.