Special Report No. 06-04: Considerations on the Use of Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs)

Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) are ubiquitous in the environment. Because exposure to dioxin and DLCs has been associated with various adverse health effects, it is important to assess the risks to the public of such exposures. For the purposes of risk assessment, dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) are assigned Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs) that indicate their potency relative to that of TCDD.