FOR MANY YEARS, DIOXINS WERE PRODUCED AS BY-PRODUCTS OF THE PULP AND PAPER-MAKING PROCESS AND DEPOSITED INTO THE ALBERNI HARBOR AT THE EFFLUENT OUTFALL. DIOXINS ALSO FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE HARBOR FROM LUMBER STORAGE AREA RUN-OFF WHEN WOOD WAS SPRAYED WITH PRESERVATIVES. AS A RESULT, HARBOR SEDIMENTS ARE VERY HIGHLY CONTAMINATED WITH DIOXINS AND OTHER TOXINS.
AS LIFE INCREASINGLY RETURNS TO THE HARBOR, THESE TOXINS FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE FOOD CHAIN. THIS IS BUT ONE OF MANY WAYS DIOXINS ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE ULTIMATE RESULT OF DIOXIN RELEASES FROM ALL SOURCES IS THAT PEOPLE PRESENTLY CARRY DANGEROUS LEVELS OF THIS BIO- ACCUMULATIVE PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANT IN BODY TISSUES.

* * *

We made hand-outs which outline the potential human health consequences of this toxic body burden...

THIS IS WHERE YOU GET YOUR DIOXIN FROM:

Total Exposure = 119 pg/day

Beef Ingestion: 38.8 picograms
Dairy Ingestion: 24.1
Milk Ingestion: 17.6
Chicken Ingestion: 12.9
Pork Ingestion: 12.2
Fish Ingestion: 7.0
Egg Ingestion: 4.1
Inhalation: 2.2
Soil Ingestion: 0.0
Water Ingestion: Negligible

North American Daily Intake (pg/day) ofTEQ
[A TEQ is a dioxin Toxic Equivalent]
[pg/day = picograms/day]

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Source: pp. 1 & 2: Lois Marie Gibbs, Dying from Dioxins, Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste, 1995.
Source - p. 3, U.S. National Wildlife Federation, 1997