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Thursday, 20 July 2006. 11:00 (AEDT)Thursday, 20 July 2006. 10:00 (ACST)Thursday, 20 July 2006. 10:00 (AEST)Thursday, 20 July 2006. 11:00 (ACDT)Thursday, 20 July 2006. 08:00 (AWST)
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A Sydney mother says she is shocked to learn her eight-year-old son having twice the adult average of dioxin in his blood.ABC TV

Dioxin blood tests conducted on Sydney Harbour fishermen and their families have revealed levels up to 10 times the standard Australian average.

The fishermen and their families are taking part in a special clinic at Concord Hospital in Sydney's east where their blood tests will be explained to them.

The tests were ordered after an investigation by ABC TV's The 7.30 Report program found some fishing families had high blood dioxin levels after years of eating from their catch from Sydney Harbour.

New South Wales Health Minister John Hatzistergos and a senior Health Department official have revealed the results at a media conference.

Dr Kerry Chant says of the 95 people tested, the level of dioxin varied and decreased with age.

Dr Chant says the tests found the average levels of dioxin were between two and 10 times the average of urban Australian levels but studies have not demonstrated health impacts at these levels.

Elaine Pensabene says she is shocked to learn that both her sons have raised blood dioxin levels and that the levels in the blood of her eight-year-old are twice the adult average.

Ms Pensabene says she is very concerned about the possible health effects.

"They're healthy at the moment, and thank God for that," she said.

"But I don't know in four years' time or five years' time or 10 years' time - I just don't know.

"I haven't been told. They've been reassuring, they're saying at these levels there should be no known effect but basically no one knows in humans."

The boy's father and former commercial fisherman, Tony Ianni, cast nets into Sydney Harbour for more than 20 years, as his father did before him.

Speaking on The 7.30 Report back in April this year, Mr Ianni said he used to catch at least two or three deformed fish from Sydney Harbour every night.

"I used to catch bream with no eyes, deformed fish, big heads and no bodies, ugly things I would throw back in the water," he said.

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