Dioxins are one of the most toxic man-made compounds known. They are persistent environmental pollutants and tend to accumulate in biota.
Dioxin-like compounds such as PCBs and PCDFs show similar properties.
This group of chemicals, also known as PHAHs, display a wide variety of toxic effects in mammals, birds, and fish.
Among the toxic effects observed as a result of exposure to PHAHs are immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity, metabolic changes, and even death.

Traditional analytical techniques for dioxins are too expensive and time consuming for food and feed screening. BioDetection Systems Chemically Activated Luciferase Expression or CALUX^® reporter gene bioassay offers a practical technology for monitoring for these compounds