ATSDR CONFIRMS Dermal Route for C-123 Dioxin Exposure

VA has "explained" to the veterans' community that C-123 flyers were not exposed, and primarily

because, as they put it, "TCDD does not readily cross human skin." This was their summation of Weber's quite dated 1991 article.

So, quoting a 23 year old publication and ignoring more current juried articles with contrary findings firmly supporting C-123 veterans' claims, VA's Post Deployment Health unit concluded C-123 veterans were not exposed. Because the dermal barrier is near-perfect, they told us. Anything to block disability claims.

They're wrong. VA VHA issued a blatant twist of facts. Along with similar conclusions in TG312, here what the CDC/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said, confirming our OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE resulted in dermal absorption – BIOAVAILABILITY! 

"[T]he ability of the skin to absorb dioxins (bioavailability)is slow except during occupational exposures." (p.5)

Also, the Japanese Environmental Agency:

 "Oral Intake and Absorption: Dioxins are absorbed through the gastro-intestinal tract, skin, and lungs. The degree of absorption varies with the congener, the route of absorption,and the medium."

Thus, even with VA's twisted redefinition of exposure (exposure = contamination field + bioavailability) we have federal agency support for both our exposure and the bioavailability.

There's more. The NIH/National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences also reported that dermal contact with TCDD results in absorption...dermal exposure:

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1991 Feb;107(2):302-10.

Absorption of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) after low dose dermal exposure.

Banks YB1, Birnbaum LS.

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Abstract

Human dermal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) occurs through contact with soil and paper products