Technical Bulletin No. 0525: Assessment of Human Health Risks Related to Exposure to Dioxin from Land Application of Wastewater Sludge

The bulletin deals briefly with human health risk assessment and hazard identification. The bulk of is devoted to exposure assessment, risk assessment, and the conclusions. In presenting the exposure assessments the pathways for movement of dioxin from land application of sludge through both direct contact act and the food chain are identified. The risk assessment then gives special attention to two population groups, (a) the Maine farmer and/or his family who may be subject to a different level of exposure in those situations where they depend on food, meat and milk derived from animals grazed on sludge amended fields and (b) the general population; the lowest acceptable levels for dioxin in sludges or soils to which these sludges were for Maine farmers who rely on milk and beef grown on sludge amended lands.