Toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin to several ecological receptor groups: a short review.

Toxicity among TCDD isomers can vary significantly. Isomers containing four to six chlorine atoms possess the greatest potential for biological activity, as well as the highest acute toxicity. Information available in the literature focuses largely on fish and terrestrial mammal studies. Toxicity data for aquatic invertebrates and plants is wanting, and essentially no studies pertaining to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) accumulation in these organisms could be found. No data were procurable regarding TCDD toxicity in marine mammals or reptiles. Current knowledge is not sufficient to accurately characterize TCDD toxicity in ecological receptors, with quantification of uncertainty being particularly difficult given the limited base of knowledge.