There has been great public concern that adverse reproductive health effects may be associated with dioxins in emission gases
from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators. Dioxin, the
name loosely assigned to a class of chemicals referring to 210 dif-ferent PCDD (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins) and PCDF
(dibenzofurans) congeners, has been shown to be a carcinogen, a
teratogen, and a reproductive toxicant in animals.1 In Japan, it is
estimated that more than 90 percent of exposure to dioxins in
daily life comes from food, primarily fish, in the general human
population.1 However, it seems to be natural to consider that indi-viduals living around the MSW incinerators are exposed to diox-ins coming from emission gases more than those living far from
the incinerators. Up to the present, it remains to be determined
whether individuals living near the MSW incinerators are exposed
to dioxins at doses sufficient to produce adverse reproductive
health effects.2