Canadian dioxin committee

[Delores Broten <dbroten@rfu.org>]

I sit as an engo on a Canadian government committee which is tryng to
develop "canada wide standards" and action plans for the "virtual
elimination" of dioxin. 

I am looking for the advice of the experts on this list about the following
scientific appraisals. The dioxin sources this particular committee is
loooking at (in a round about way) are: pulp mills burning salty hog fuel,
residential wood stoves, and municipal incineration. The area I need advice
on is the questions around dioxins in landfills and dioxins and plant
uptake. I THINK I saw something about plant uptake not too long ago on this
list. 

Paprican is the research arm of the Canadian pulp and paper industry. 

Delores Broten,
Reach for Unbleached

>Scepticism was expressed about the commitment of industry to elimination of
>dioxin & furan emissions because of past proposals to use flyash in soil and
>marsh restoration.  This led to a discussion of landfilling practices and
>the possibility of leaching or other emissions from landfills.  Paprican did
>a literature survey on this issue and found that dioxins and furans are
>tightly bound to particulate matter and resistant to being dissolved in
>water.  Paprican's findings showed that when buried in soil, dioxins &
>furans are not taken up by plants or trees, and that exposure to ultra
>violet radiation (sunlight) breaks them down.  Environment Canada may have
>some funding to expand on the work done by Paprican.  The Chair will check
>with the Chair of the CCME Soil Quality Task Group about relevant
>information that may have emerged in the course of developing a national
>guideline for dioxins & furans in soil.

Delores Broten, 
Reach for Unbleached! Foundation,
Box 39, Whaletown BC Canada V0P 1Z0
Ph/fax: (250) 935-6992

http://www.rfu.org

dbroten@rfu.org