Michigan State University is starting a new project to learn more about how certain environmental contaminants affect the human body. MSU will use a $14-million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study dioxins, which form a large class of chemical compounds.Dioxins do occur in nature, but most are industrial byproducts. The herbicide Agent Orange, widely used to defoliate trees and fields during the Vietnam War, is one example.
Dr. Norbert Kaminski, director of the Center for Integrative Toxicology at Michigan State University, will be the lead researcher for the dioxin study. He spoke with Current State host Mark Bashore.