Transport and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans at the Bien Hoa Agent Orange hotspot in Vietnam

The Bien Hoa airbase (south of Vietnam) is known as one of the Agent Orange hotspots which have been seriously contaminated by Agent Orange/dioxin during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of samples including soil, sediment and fish were collected at the Bien Hoa Agent Orange hotspot for assessment of the e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science and pollution research international 2015-10, Vol.22 (19), p.14431-14441
Main Authors: Van Thuong, Nguyen, Hung, Nguyen Xuan, Mo, Nguyen Thi, Thang, Nguyen Manh, Huy, Pham Quang, Van Binh, Hoang, Nam, Vu Duc, Van Thuy, Nguyen, Son, Le Ke, Minh, Nguyen Hung
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
12th IHPA Forum and selected studies on POPs
2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid - analysis
2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid - pharmacokinetics
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid - analysis
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid - pharmacokinetics
Acidic soils
Agent Orange
Animals
Aquatic Pollution
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Benzofurans - analysis
Benzofurans - pharmacokinetics
Bioaccumulation
Chemical spills
Congeners
Defoliants
Dibenzofuran
Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated
Dioxins
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology
Environment
Environmental assessment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Health
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Environmental Restoration and Remediation
Fishes - metabolism
Food consumption
Food contamination
Fruits
Herbicides
Land area
Pesticides
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analogs & derivatives
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - pharmacokinetics
Polychlorinated dibenzofurans
Remediation
Soil columns
Soil contamination
Soil Pollutants - analysis
Soil Pollutants - pharmacokinetics
Soil pollution
Soil remediation
TCDD
Toxicity
Vietnam
Vietnam War
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics
Water Pollution Control
Wood preservatives
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Summary:The Bien Hoa airbase (south of Vietnam) is known as one of the Agent Orange hotspots which have been seriously contaminated by Agent Orange/dioxin during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of samples including soil, sediment and fish were collected at the Bien Hoa Agent Orange hotspot for assessment of the environmental contamination caused by dibenzo- p -dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). The toxicity equivalency quotient (TEQ) concentration of PCDD/Fs in soil and sediment varied from 7.6 to 962,000 and 17 to 4860 pg/g dry wt, respectively, implying very high contamination of PCDD/Fs in several areas. PCDD/F levels in fish ranged between 1.8 and 288 pg/g TEQ wet wt and was generally higher than advisory guidelines for food consumption. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins (2,3,7,8-TCDD) contributed 66–99 % of TEQ for most of the samples, suggesting 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) from Agent Orange as the major source of the contamination. The vertical transport of PCDD/Fs was observed in soil column with high TEQ levels above 1000 pg/g dry wt (Vietnamese limit for necessary remediation activities- TCVN 8183:2009 ( 2009 )) even at a depth of 1.8 m. The vertical transport of PCDD/Fs has probably mainly taken place during the “Ranch Hand” defoliant spray activities due to the leaks and spills of phenoxy herbicides and solvents. The congener patterns suggest that transports of PCDD/Fs by weathering processes have led to their redistribution in the low-land areas. Also, an estimate for the total volume of contaminated soil requiring remediation to meet Vietnamese regulatory limits is provided.
ISSN:0944-1344
1614-7499
DOI:10.1007/s11356-014-3946-9