Dioxin and Roundup: A Tale of Two Chemicals

Two infamous chemicals made the news recently: Dioxin and Roundup.

Dioxin is the name given to a class of chemicals considered to be super toxic. Dioxins have the dubious distinction of belonging to The Dirty Dozen group of dangerous chemicals known as POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants). Dioxins accumulate in soil and water, and can be transported by wind. Dioxins can accumulate in the food chain. Dioxins are by-products of a wide range of manufacturing processes including: smelting, chlorine bleaching of paper pulp, and the manufacturing of some herbicides and pesticides.

Dioxins are not manufactured intentionally. They form as an unintended contaminant or as a by-product during combustion, or during the manufacture of certain chlorinated chemicals like Agent Orange. Dioxins can also result from incineration: as in forest fires and volcanoes.

Dioxin In Soil

Dioxins are highly persistent chemicals that take a long time to degrade. Dioxin present in surface soil may take 9 to 15 years to degrade to half it’s concentration. In subsurface soil, Dioxin will remain largely unchanged.

Dioxin In the Body

Dioxin is stored in the fat of humans and animals and fish (in the less fatty fish like lobsters and shrimp Dioxin is stored in organs). According to the EPA the average level of dioxin found in the general population leaves little or no margin of more exposure for most people; in other words, additional exposure to dioxin can result in adverse health effects. Dioxin’s half-life in the human body is about seven years. Research shows that exposure to Dioxin can cause cancer, birth defects, diabetes, learning and developmental delays, endometriosis, immune system abnormalities, skin rashes, and liver disorders.

Dioxin and the Immune System

Linda Birnbaum, one of the EPA’s leading Dioxin experts, calls Dioxin an “immune modulator” because it makes the immune systems of animals both under-reactive and over-reactive to stimuli. An over-reactive immune system may raise the risk of autoimmune diseases. An under-reactive immune system is less able to respond to an antigenic challenge; that is, it makes vaccines less effective and leaves the animal less able to fight off infections.

Roundup in Water and Soil

The second chemical to make recent news (September 2011) is Roundup, the glyphosate made by Monsanto. In a groundbreaking research study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey Office, Department of the Interior, Roundup was detected in air and water samples from two U.S. farm states: Iowa and Mississippi. The study was conducted over a two year period.

Paul Capel, environmental chemist and head of the agricultural chemicals team for the U.S Geological Survey said, “every stream sample examined in Mississippi over a two year period and every air sample showed the presence of glyphosate.” (Reuters News Service, September 1, 2011). Mississippi was one of the states chosen for testing because it is a key agricultural area for corn, soybeans, cotton, and rice.

The U.S Geological Survey said that more than 88,000 tons of glyphosate were used in the U.S in 2007. A huge increase from the 11,000 tons used in 1992. The EPA has set a deadline for 2015 for determining if glyphosate should continue to be sold.

More and more farmers report that glyphosate-resistant weeds are choking out crops, and soil scientists are finding harmful effects of glyphosate products on soil organisms, plants, and certain animals including cattle and horses.

Keeping Ourselves and Our Animals Healthy

Since dioxin is stored in fat, it’s important to keep our pets and horses trim. Studies show that when humans lose weight, they loose accumulated dioxin as well. A report from the World Health Organization points out that meat eaters and those that eat a diet of high fatty fish can be at a larger risk of increased dioxin contamination.

A healthy GI tract, which supports a healthy immune system is important for all of us: humans, horses, dogs, and cats. Foods which can support a healthy gut include the probiotics/prebiotics, super green foods like wheat grass and barley grass, bovine colostrum, and the super fruits like blueberries, and pomegranates.

Roundup can largely be avoided by eating foods that are not genetically modified. Organic food cannot be grown with glyphosates. Many small local farmers who are not USDA certified Organic, do not use Round Up, so purchasing food from your local farmer is a good alternative.

We can take care of our pastures and soils by eliminating chemical fertilizers, by composting and spreading manure, and adding organic trace mineral fertilizers like Azomite to provide more macro and mineral support to grasses.

Our Chemical World

There is no avoiding chemicals, but we can reduce the amount of chemicals we and our horses and pets are exposed to. Household cleaners may be the most obvious, but hair care and skin care products contain plenty of hazardous chemicals. With the horses I prefer to use Dr. Bronner’s soaps which are pure castille soap with some essential oils. As a conditioner I use coconut oil. The Environmental Working group has a terrific website for more information on the chemicals used in health and beauty products.

Last (But Not Least): Chemical Preservatives

Many pet foods and equine feeds contain chemical preservatives: BHA, BHT, and Ethoxyquin. BHA and BHT are known carcinogens, banned in several countries including Japan, Sweden, and Australia. Studies have shown these chemicals have been linked to dry skin, allergies, and liver disease. Ethoxyquin, which was originally developed for use in the production of rubber and as a herbicide is regulated by the FDA as a pesticide but permitted to be used as a preservative in pet and animal feed.

Interestingly enough, Ethoxyquin is allowed in human food at .5 to 5 ppm, yet in dog and animal feeds is allowed to 150 ppm. In 1997 the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that the pet food industry voluntarily lower the ethoxyquin residue in pet foods to 75ppm but did not issue a mandatory requirement. When we consider that most of the ingredients in equine feed are products of the petro chemical industry (synthetic amino acids, coal tar and petroleum vitamins plus the preservatives) our horses are exposed to a lot more chemicals than when feed was forage and simple grains. Fortunately we can be proactive for our families and our horses and pets by reading labels and choosing to reduce the chemical influence in our lives.

Tigger