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Carbon Emissions

Answer

I have been asked to reply.The independent expert advisory Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), advises the Department and other government departments and agencies, including the Health Protection Agency, on the health effects of emissions of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls. The Committee recommends the levels for the tolerable daily intake (TDI), which is the amount that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.The TDI is expressed in World Health Organisation (WHO) - toxic equivalents per kilogram body weight per day (TEQ/kg bw/day). The WHO-TEQs are an internationally recognised method for considering the toxicity of mixtures of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, by comparing them to that of the most thoroughly studied dioxin, Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, based on considering their relative potencies.The COT has recommended a tolerable daily intake for dioxins of two picograms WHO-TEQ/kg body weight/day based on the most sensitive effect in laboratory animals, namely, adverse effects on the developing foetus resulting from exposure in utero. As this was the most sensitive effect it will protect against the risks of other adverse effects including carcinogenicity. A copy of the full statement has been placed in the Library and is available at:"http://cot.food.gov.uk/cotstatements/cotstatementsyrs/cotstatements2001/dioxinsstate"The majority, more than 90 per cent. of non-occupational human exposure to dioxins occurs via the diet, with animal-based foodstuffs like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products being particularly important. Limited exposure may also occur via inhalation of air or ingestion of soil depending on circumstances. Provided that the strict emission limits on modern incinerators are adhered to, inhalation of dioxins is not a significant source of exposure for the general public. It has been estimated for example that current levels of dioxin emissions from incinerators accounts for less than 1 per cent of UK emissions of dioxins. This data is available in a comprehensive review carried out for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2004 entitled Review of Environmental and Health Effects of Waste Management: Municipal Solid Waste and Similar Wastes. This is available through the DEFRA website at:"http://www.defra.gov.uk"

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

483 c1593-4W; 235071

Session

2007-08

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP2008-2907
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Subjects

Air pollution Health hazards Carbon emissions

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk