Scientists want wood workers tested for dioxin

By ANNE BESTON environment reporter

Timber workers exposed to the toxic chemical dioxin should undergo health tests, a Ministry for the Environment report says.

The report, released urgently yesterday by Environment Minister Marian Hobbs after a draft version was revealed by the Herald, said timber workers exposed to PCP, or polychlorinated biphenyl, should be studied to find out if their health had been affected.

PCP contains dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known. It was deregistered for use in 1991.

An initial study of four timber workers found three had five times as much dioxin in their blood as the general population, said Ministry for the Environment policy analyst Dr Simon Buckland.

He said no investigation into possible health effects on timber workers had been done, but it should be if feasible.

In the official report, probabilities of cancer risk from dioxin have been revised downwards.

The report, an evaluation of the risk to New Zealanders from dioxin, has been seen by the cabinet but was not due for release until next month.

Ms Hobbs said because of "significant public interest," the report had been finalised "with urgency."

The released version says the cancer risk for the NZ population from dioxin at normal background levels "may exceed one additional cancer per 1000 individuals."

But the draft put the extra cancer cases at between three and seven.

The draft report had already been peer-reviewed by scientists from various Government bodies.

Dioxin enters the body mainly through food, because it accumulates in fish, meat and dairy products.

Dr Buckland said tests here showed half to one-fifth the level of dioxin found in foods in Europe and North America.

But this did not mean there was a "marked difference" in the safety margin for New Zealanders.

How the report changed


Draft report: "The lifetime added cancer risk is approximately three to seven additional cancers per 1000 individuals."

Final report: " ... risk for background intakes of dioxin-like compounds for the NZ population may exceed one additional cancer per 1000 individuals."