Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs

Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are organic pollutants that contain chlorine.

These days, most dioxins come from combustion, and of the 210 different dioxin compounds, 17 are particularly poisonous. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are a group of industrial chemicals that were developed in the 1920s. PCBs were used in products like transformer oil, paint and refrigerants, but they were banned in Norway in 1980.

12 of the 209 PCB compounds are referred to as dioxin-like PCBs, because they behave in the same way as dioxins. Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are both hard to break down and fat-soluble, which means they accumulate in the food chain and in the bodies of fish, other animals and humans. They are found in fatty fish, meat, dairy products and eggs. In fatty fish they are found in the fillet, whereas in lean fish they are in the liver.

Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are carcinogens and during pregnancy they can cause foetal deformities.