Dioxin refers to a large group of halogenated organic compounds that are polychlorinated dibenzodioxins. They are commonly called “dioxins” because they all contain the p-dioxin skeleton consisting of two benzene rings joined by two oxygen bridges. A variable number of chlorine atoms are attached to the benzene ring at any of eight possible sites on the benzene rings. The locations of the chlorine attachments impact the toxicity of the dioxin. The most infamous of the dioxins is 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), which was a contaminant in Agent Orange, which was used as an herbicide in the Vietnam War. Dioxins are produced in a variety of chemical reactions. In the 1980s, nearly 80 percent of dioxins entering the atmosphere were the result of burning organic materials in the presence of chlorine. Because chlorine is present in many settings, combustion of various kinds produced a small amount of dioxins that, in the aggregate, created significant pollution and environmental…