Unearthed drums show higher dioxin levels than previously reported, Okinawa tests show

 Okinawa City officials said Wednesday that independent tests on barrels unearthed on former U.S. military land showed much higher levels of toxic herbicide components than test results released earlier by the Japan Ministry of Defense.

The city test results were eight times higher than the ministry’s results for dioxin – a toxin known to cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, immune system damage and hormone imbalances – in soil and water collected from around about two dozen rusted Dow Chemical Company containers found buried under a soccer field, according to an Okinawa City report released Wednesday.

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