Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs)

Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs) are a way to measure the toxicity of various pollutants compared to a reference chemical, typically dioxin, which is highly toxic. Each chemical is assigned a TEF value based on how harmful it is relative to dioxin. For example, if a chemical has a TEF of 0.1, it is considered 10% as toxic as dioxin. By using TEFs, scientists and regulators can assess the overall toxicity of a mixture of pollutants and make informed decisions about environmental health and safety.