Technical Bulletin No. 0586: Dioxin Research Needs: Recommendations of an Expert Panel

An independent panel convened to identify the critical research initiatives needed to improve our ability to predict potential adverse health effects in human populations exposed to low doses of the chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. The 11-member panel, co-chaired by Dr. John Doull and Dr. Robert Neal, included senior scientists from academia, government, industry, and environmental advocacy. It was the unanimous opinion of the panel that the urgent need is research addressing the fundamental biological mechanisms of action of the chlorinated dioxins and furans, in particular the 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro congeners TCDD and TCDF, at the cellular and molecular level in human and other mammalian systems.