Concerns exist about dioxins and furans because some studies have shown that extreme or long-term exposure to them may cause adverse health effects. The scientific community is, however, divided with regard to the effects of dioxin and furan exposure on humans. Like many chemicals, the health effects associated with dioxins and furans depend on a variety of exposure factors including: the level of exposure, when someone was exposed, and how long and how often they were exposed.
Dow Worker Health Studies
Dow has a long history of studying the health of its workers. Since 1967, we have conducted hundreds of worker studies among employees worldwide who, as a result of their work, have been exposed to a variety of chemicals. More than 165 of these studies have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals. We know of no other company that has done more worker studies or published more medical papers on worker health.
University of Michigan Regional Comparison Study
As part of our commitment to answer community questions and provide a scientific approach, Dow has awarded an $180,000 grant to Dr. David Garabrant, at the University of Michigan to begin scoping a regional comparison study.
Dr. Garabrant will lead a team of health scientists to define typical dioxin blood levels in the area. This is an important step in understanding whether residents who live along the Tittabawassee River and in Midland have higher dioxin levels in their blood compared with a similar group of residents living outside this area.
Historical Health Studies
- Cancer Mortality in Workers Exposed to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (628KB PDF)
- Dioxin: A Case Study (414KB PDF)
- Mortality in a Cohort of Pentachlorophenol Manufacturing Workers, 1940-1989 (1.2MB PDF)
- RE: "2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD: An Overview" (301KB PDF)
- Effect of Reclassification of Chloracne Cases (84KB PDF)
- Incidence of Chloracne among Chemical Workers Potentially Exposed to Chlorinated Dioxins (344KB PDF)
- Update of Mortality among Chemical Workers with Potential Exposure to the Higher Chlorinated Dioxins (258KB PDF)
- Cohort Mortality Study of Chemical Workers with Potential Exposure to the Higher Chlorinated Dioxins (731KB PDF)
- Update of the Mortality Experience of Workers Exposed to Chlorinated Dioxins (314KB PDF)
- A Soft Tissue Sarcoma Case Control Study in a Large Multi-Chemical Manufacturing Facility (229KB PDF)
- Cause-Specific Mortality Among Male Chemical Workers (1.6MB PDF)
- Evaluation of Mortality Patterns Among Chemical Workers With Chloracne (201KB PDF)
- Evaluation of the Mortality Experience of Workers Exposed to the Chlorinated Dioxins (307KB PDF)
- Soft-Tissue Sarcoma: Case-Control Study (251KB PDF)
- Dioxin: Comparing Apples and Oranges (376KB PDF)
- Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Clues and Caution (309KB PDF)
- Dioxin and Reproductive Events (486KB PDF)
- Medical and morbidity surveillance findings among employees potentially exposed to TCDD (292KB PDF)
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Dioxins: Putting the Data into Perspective (874KB PDF)
- Survey of Reproductive Events of Wives of Employees Exposed to Chlorinated Dioxins (1.5KB PDF)
- Dioxin, Chloracne, and Soft Tissue Sarcoma (248KB PDF)
- The Journal of The American Medical Association, April 11, 1980 (339KB PDF)
- Mortality Experience of Employees Exposed to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (251KB PDF)
- A Mortality Analysis of Employees Engaged in the Manufacture of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (340KB PDF)
- Cause-Specific Mortality Among Michigan Employees of a Chemical Company: 1940 to 1994 (1.6MB PDF)
Historical Exposure Studies
- Bioaccessability Study for Midland (270KB PDF)
- Site Specific Risk Assessment (146KB PDF)
