The investigation report of dioxin with the incinerator in Japan

["Kenichi Azuma" <azuma@kcn.ne.jp>]

Dear folks,



Here is the investigation report of dioxin with the incinerator in Nose-cho
Osaka, Japan.
URL: http://www.kcn.ne.jp/~azuma/English/news/June1999/990609.html

The following is a summary

<Sources>
Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association
URL: http://www.jisha.or.jp/index_e.htm (In English)
This report is
URL: http://www.jisha.or.jp/announce/shiryo/toyo_rep.htm (Sorry Japanese
Only)
Date: April 4, 1999

<Related article>
The highest level Dioxin was detected in the blood in Japan.
URL: http://www.kcn.ne.jp/~azuma/English/news/990328.html

<Abstract>

1. Investigation method

1) Objective workers

92 workers in the incinerator in Nose-cho Osaka Prefecture. (88 man, 4
woman)

2) Contents

[1] operation record (interview by the industrial physician)
[2] life history (questionnaire survey)
[3] investigation of health conditions (A consultation by the doctor)
[4] skin inspection (inspection of skin by the dermatologist
[5] blood analysis (angiotelectasis, blood biochemical, immunodiagnostics,
dioxin levels in the blood)

3) The analysis method of dioxin levels in the blood

[1] extraction method
The fat extraction method (Miyata method: Hideaki Miyata is the professor
Setsunan University)
[2] The analysis institution
Okometric inc. (Germany)

2. Investigation result

1) Dioxin levels in the blood

unit: pg TEQ /g - fat in blood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
item------------------median---- standard deviation---- min---- max
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dioxins* -------------84.8--------- 130.2------------------ 13.4---- 805.8
2,3,7,8-TCDD**---- 4.5------------- 2.6------------------- 0.5-------13.4
Co-PCBs***------- 14.3----------- 10.2------------------- 3.1------ 54.2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*: PCDDs+PCDFs (I-TEF method)
**: The highest toxic dioxin in 210 dioxins (PCDDs+PCDFs)
***: TEF of WHO method


2) The health conditions of workers

[1] Significant correlation was not observed between occurrences of the
disease and dioxin levels in the blood.
[2] The result of the blood analysis didn't show the defect caused clearly
by dioxins.
[3] The chloracnes were not observed all objective workers.
[4] The Decrease tendency of PHA stimulus-response (a kind of immune
response) and the unaccounted-for pigment freckle were observed.

I think that the workers was detected in the high levels dioxins in blood in
this investigation should be observed carefully the health condition in
future.



Best regards,
Kenichi Azuma



----------------------------------------------------------
Kenichi Azuma
http://www.kcn.ne.jp/~azuma/                               (In Japanese)
http://www.kcn.ne.jp/~azuma/English/english_index.htm (In English)
E-mail: azuma@kcn.ne.jp
----------------------------------------------------------