Serum dioxin concentrations in military workers at three dioxin-contaminated airbases in Vietnam

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 266; p. 129024
• Main Authors: Van Manh, Phan, Tai, Pham The, Phuong, Nguyen Minh, Nishijo, Muneko, Trung, Do Minh, Thao, Pham Ngoc, Son, Ho Anh, Van Tuan, Tran, Van Chuyen, Nguyen, Van Long, Nguyen, Van Khoi, Nguyen, Linh, Nguyen Tung, Van Luong, Hoang, Quyet, Do Ba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2021
• Subjects: Agent orange; Blood samples; Dioxins; Humans; Male; Military Personnel; Military workers; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; Vietnam; Vietnam; Blood samples; 1,2,3,7,8-pentaCDD; TEQ; 1,2,3,7,8-pentaCDF; 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexaCDD; Dioxins; OctaCDD; 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexaCDF; 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexaCDD; OctaCDF; SD; 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptaCDF; 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptaCDD; PCDFs; 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexaCDF; 1,2,3,4,7,8,9-heptaCDF; BMI; 1,2,3,7,8,9-hexaCDF; PCDDs/Fs; 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF; 1,2,3,7,8,9-hexaCDD; PCDDs; GM; Agent orange; Military workers; 2,3,7,8-tetraCDF; 2,3,4,6,7,8-hexaCDF; 2,3,7,8-TetraCDD
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129024
• EISSN: 1879-1298
• ISSN: 0045-6535

An estimated 91,998,400 L of herbicides were stocked at three US airbases in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971. These herbicides were contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetraCDD). In 2017, we sampled blood from 120 male Vietnamese military workers in the three dioxin-contaminated airbases (Bien Hoa, Da Nang, and Phu Cat) and from 20 workers at an uncontaminated airbase. 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD concentrations were highest in samples from Bien Hoa (18.2 pg/g lipid), followed by samples from Da Nang (9.2 pg/g lipid), Phu Cat (3.7 pg/g lipid), and the reference base (2.1 pg/g lipid). In Bien Hoa, 31 of the 50 subjects had blood 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD levels in the range of 10–100 pg/g lipid and four subjects had 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD levels that exceeded 100 pg/g lipid. In Da Nang, almost half of the subjects had blood 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD concentrations in the range of 10–100 pg/g lipid. These findings suggest that military workers at contaminated bases are the population most vulnerable to dioxin exposure, especially at Bien Hoa.
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•Dioxin originated from Agent Orange spraying in Vietnam War is a serious public concern.•Military workers at dioxin-contaminated airbases are the population most vulnerable to dioxin exposure.•2,3,7,8-tetraCDD concentrations in blood samples were highest in Bien Hoa airbase (18.2 pg/g lipid), followed by samples from Da Nang (9.2 pg/g lipid), and Phu Cat (3.7 pg/g lipid).•Remediation of dioxin-contaminated airbases is necessary for public health protection of populations living inside and around the airbases.