According to the EPA, dioxins are highly toxic, and they take a very long time to break down in the environment, meaning they are classified as POPS, persistent organic pollutants. These very toxic chemical compounds came to the attention of the public during the Vietnam war, when Agent Orange and other such agents were used by the US military to defoliate vegetation hiding enemy troops. From the severe health effects that exposed veterans suffered, during and years after the war, we learned a lot about the serious harm to humans and the environment caused by these poisons.
The EPA says that dioxins are now found in the environment, throughout the world. Exposure has been associated with all types of cancer, skin conditions, compromised immunity, bone deformities and hormonal imbalances. Spina Bifida in children of Agent-Orange exposed veterans is just one piece of evidence connecting dioxin exposure to reproductive and developmental problems.
Dioxins accumulate in the food chain and are stored in the fat cells of animals. This is why the EPA has estimated that 90% of the current human exposure to dioxins is through consuming animal fats in meat, dairy products, shellfish and fish. Contamination of industrially produced feed has been the problem with farm or factory-raised animals. Water and sediment contamination and bioaccumulation affect seafood. (Big fish get more dioxin as they eat smaller contaminated fish.)
However, there are other sources of exposure people may not often think about—paper products like coffee filters. A study reported in 2003 (see link below) that about a third of the dioxin in coffee filters is “eluted” during coffee brewing. Even though the levels in paper products are not considered high, think about how many times a week you brew or drink brewed coffee. Also important to note, is that dioxin is so incredibly toxic, no level of exposure is without health risks.
An internet article (also linked below) cites the EPA as saying that as much as 40% to 70% of the dioxin in bleached coffee filters gets into your brewed coffee. Two simple things can be done to decrease the amount of dioxin—use unbleached filters whenever possible, and rinse the filters, especially bleached ones, before using them. Rinsing the filters in a pasta strainer and letting them dry overnight, is an easy way to keep their shape.
Eating free range used to be a way to reduce dioxin exposure from animal products. However, according to a study done by the German Environmental Agency, the soil, over the last decade, has become so polluted with dioxin and PCBs, that free-range animals can be just as contaminated as factory-fed ones, if not more so. Therefore, management of grazing areas, has become an essential concern.
For those who would like to reduce the level of dioxin and other poisons stored in their bodies from past exposures, some environmental doctors like Dr. Sherry Rogers have suggested using far-infrared sauna treatments. Although some mainstream sources say it doesn’t work, Rogers has been involved for over 30 years helping people improve health through different methods of detoxification.
https://www.epa.gov/dioxin/learn-about-dioxin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221703/
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/toxin-dioxin-public-enemy-numb-126587