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Any of several toxic or carcinogenic hydrocarbons that occur as impurities in herbicides.Toxic substances that are byproducts of certain chemicals like herbicides that are used to kill off weeds in arable farmland.dioxin

Any in a family of over 200 chlorinated organic chemicals (allheterocyclic hydrocarbons). The term is most commonly applied to a particular chemical, 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-paradioxin (2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD, simply called TCDD), which is an impurity in the defoliant AgentOrange and in the pesticide 2, 4, 5-T(see auxin). Dioxins are also producedwhenchlorinated materials such as plastics are burned. Dioxins are knownto cause skin diseases (chloracne), birth defects, miscarriages, and cancer.