But the advisory committee's examination of other scientific literature relating to herbicide and dioxin exposure tilted the balance in favor of compensation.

Studies supported by the WHO and others have found that neurological benefits of breast milk remain, regardless of dioxin exposure.

Almost all prior cases of dioxin exposure have resulted from environmental contamination, because dioxins are a toxic waste product of many industrial processes.

Further research is still being conducted to investigate the full repercussions of prenatal dioxin exposure.

They also said the conditions suffered by the plaintiffs were common ones, such as stress and obesity, unrelated to dioxin exposure.

How much dioxin exposure represents a health hazard has been a matter of dispute in recent years.

Mr. Flaherty went through the cases of five former plant workers, seeking to disprove that their suspected ailments were a result of dioxin exposure.

The IOM found an association between dioxin exposure and diabetes.

So even if dioxin exposure did increase diabetes risk, the effect might not have been apparent.

He hasn't read the German studies showing that dioxin exposure without a doubt causing cancer.