What Is a Dioxin Testing Service?
A dioxin testing service is a method used to detect dioxins, which are byproducts of various processes such as general and industrial waste incineration facilities, electric furnaces used in steelmaking, chlorine bleaching processes in paper manufacturing, and emissions from cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust. Dioxin testing is crucial for source control and assessing environmental contamination.
The initiative to control dioxin emissions began in 1983 when dioxin was detected in fly ash from a waste incineration plant.
Uses of Dioxin Testing Services
Environmental standards for dioxin concentration include Air: an annual average of 0.6-TEQ/m3 or less, Water: an annual average of 1 pg-TEQ/l or less, Sediment: 150 pg-TEQ/g or less, and Soil: 1000 pg-TEQ/g or less. Facilities that must adhere to specific emission standards include waste incinerators with a minimum size or capacity, with different standards for new and existing facilities.
Dioxins commonly refer to polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Additionally, substances like coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (coplanar PCBs), which exhibit similar toxicity to dioxins, are termed dioxin-like compounds.
Dioxins are structurally composed of two benzene rings connected by oxygen atoms and attached to chlorine atoms. There are 75 types of PCDDs, 135 types of PCDFs, and 12 types of coplanar PCBs, with 29 of these identified as toxic.