The Seveso Disaster

In July of 1976, an explosion at a chemical manufacturing plant north of Milan, Italy released Tetrachlorodibenzopdioxin (TCDD) into the atmosphere adversely affecting the nearby town of Seveso. Shortly thereafter 3,300 animals died and many more were put down in order to prevent the spread of contamination into the food chain. Children were hospitalized with skin inflammation and nearly 500 people were found to have skin lesions.