Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dioxin intoxication from chronic exposure of horses to pentachlorophenol-contaminated wood shavings.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1992
- Authors:
- Kerkvliet, N I et al.
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A study looked into health issues affecting horses on a breeding farm and found that the wood shavings used for bedding contained very high levels of a chemical called pentachlorophenol, which had been present for 2 to 4 years. This chemical can break down into harmful substances known as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, which were found in the horses' tissues. The researchers discovered that certain levels of these toxins in the horses' liver or fat were linked to the health problems they were experiencing. Overall, the study confirmed that the contaminated bedding was likely causing toxic effects in the horses.
Abstract
Investigations into the cause of health problems on a horse-breeding farm led to the discovery of high concentrations (630 to 9,810 mg/kg of bedding) of pentachlorophenol in wood shavings used as bedding for horses over a period of 2 to 4 years. Toxicologic signs in the horses were characteristic of toxic effects associated with exposure of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. Tissue residue analysis confirmed presence of toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran isomers known to be in pentachlorophenol, substantiating the bioavailability of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in the wood shavings. The findings provide evidence that residue concentrations in the range of 2 ng/g of toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin isomers in liver or fat correlate with toxicologic effects in horses.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1500327/