The status of herbicidedioxin residues in Vietnam

Contaminated sources of herbicide/dioxin Ranch Hand 8/1961-10/1971 - Density of spray is about 37 kg/ha, which is 17 time higher than the spray density in agriculture WASH, STORE AND S

Office of The National Steering Committee on overcoming of toxic chemicals used by US during the war in Vietnam (Office 33)

The status of herbicide/dioxin residues in

Vietnam

Contaminated sources of

herbicide/dioxin

Ranch Hand 8/1961-10/1971

- Density of spray is about 37 kg/ha, which is 17 time higher than the

spray density in agriculture

WASH, STORE AND SPILLED AREAS

FOR SPRAYING AIRPLAN

~77 million liters of herbercide

Dioxin: byproduct in Agents Orange;

Purple; Pink , Green

Dioxin contamination in Vietnam caused

by AO source:

The ratio of TCDD is very high:

- In soil and sediment

- 19,905 flights sprayed herbicide

sprayed with toxic chemicals

spray

more than 10 times

 Total forest area sprayed :

3,104,000 ha (approx.17.8%

natural forest area)

 Amount of wood lost about

82,830,000 m3

 Many rare and prestigue

plans and animals were

diminished and lost

Table 1: Determinate results of dioxin residues in environment (until 2006)

TT Areas Samples 2378-TCDD/TEQ, ppt Concentration Analytical laboratories- Sources

1

Gio Linh - Cam Lộ,

Quảng Trị (2003-2004) WaterSoil

Sediment

1,2 TEQ (n=31)

0 (n=2)1TEQ (n=15)

TTNĐViệt- Nga TTNĐViệt- Nga TTNĐViệt- Nga

TTNĐViệt- NgaMai Anh Tuấn và cs (2004)

122/123 (n=10)13/15 (n=7)12/13 (n=9)23,5 (n=89)

80+Hatfield 80+Hatfield UB10-80+Hatfield UB10-80+Hatfield

UB10-3 Sa Nhơn, Sa Thầy,Kon Tum (2003) sediementSoil 0,14 TEQ (n=14)0,38 TEQ (n=6) TTNĐViệt- Nga - Cục Môi trưòng

4 Phú Lộc, TT-Huế(1993) soil 8,6 (n=4/6) Matsuda và cs(1993)

14 (n=14/54)13,2/14,3 (n=24)0,7/ 2,8 (n=7)

Matsuda và csTTNĐViệt- Nga TTNĐViệt- Nga

16 (n=7)3,6/4,0 (n=7)2,06-341TEQ (n=5)

VH1/ ĐHKHTNHNUB10-80 TTN Vi t- NgaĐViệt- Nga ệt- NgaBan 10-80, VP33

(2006)

Table 1: Determinate results of dioxin residues in environment (until 2006) (cont.)

TT Areas Samples 2378-TCDD/TEQ, ppt Concentration Analytical laboratories- Sources

7 Cà Mau (1993) Đất <1 (n=16) Matsuda và cs

8 Hồ Trị An (2002-2003)

ĐấtBùnNướcS.vật

3,9 TEQ (n=15)2,8 TEQ (n=27)

0 (n=4)1,0 TEQ (n=19)

Viện KHTLMN TTNĐViệt- Nga

8,6/10,2 (n=9/17)119/122 (n=1/17)

24 TEQ (n=5)

265 TEQ (n=1)

TTNĐViệt- NgaMai Anh Tuấn và cs (2004)

10 Bình Mỹ, Tân Uyên,Bình Dương

(1995-1998)

ĐấtSvật 12,7/14,5 (n=19)1,3/3,4 (n=10) TTNĐViệt- Nga

Because of time, rain, flood, slops, run off,… > Concentration of Dioxin in spraying areas were mostly decreased below the

harmful level to environment.

 Cuu Long delta areas: not detected 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentration

 Midle areas: Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên Huế (A Lưới) dioxin concentration were found but were not high levels (average is 23,5ppt)

 South East area: average of dioxin concentration is 15,05 ppt

 Some big lakes: (như Dầu Tiếng, Trị An), dioxin concenration in sediment are in acceptable level (safety level)

> Other contaminated areas is still lacking??

> Mobility, precipitation of hebicides/dioxin? ?

> Unload hebicides/AO when airplan be pursuing or be charsing

DIOXIN RESIDUES AT THE STORED, WASHED, SPILLED

AND UPLOADED AREAS

• At present, 3 hotspot areas has been determining: Bien hoa , Biên Hòa, Đà

Nẵng và Phù Cát aiports

• in 2007, US MOD have providing information on new 7 aiports Đà Nẵng,

Biên Hòa, Phù Cát, Nha Trang, Tân Sơn Nhất, Phan Rang và Tuy Hòa ) are previous storages that might be also contaminated VN MOD, Hattfield are now doing sampling, analysing to determine dioxin concentration in these airports For Danang airport, it have been identified some more

contamination places at the South of aiport; in Bienhoa airport also

indentified some new places of dioxin contamination (but analytical result is still not finished yet)

Herbicides in Bien Hoa Airbase

Operation Ranch Hand (Dec 1966 – Feb 1970) - total transport and handling

Agent Orange: 98,000 barrels (20,384,000 l)

Agent White: 45,000 barrels (9,360,000 l)

Agent Blue: 16,300 barrels (3,390,000 l)

Operation Pacer Ivy (Apr 1970 – Mar 1972)

Re-drumming of 11,000 barrels Agent Orange (2,288,000 l) and site cleanup

occurred

Spills of Herbicides in Bien Hoa Airbase

December 1969 – March 1970: four large spills from 28,000-liter tanks occurred on the airbase Spills and leakages also occurred due to handling (loading, washing and re-drumming).

Bien Hoa Airbase: Area contaminated Dioxin, Volume to be Treated

Location

Area (m2)

dioxin 0-0.3m mean (ppt)

Treatment depth (m)

Est Soil, Sediment (m3)

* Treatment level: Soil 1000ppt; Sediment 150ppt

Z1 has been isolated, 5 million USD; 3,600 m3 bioremidiatio

Herbicides in Phu Cat Airbase

 Operation Ranch Hand (Jun 1968 – May

1970) - total transport and handling

 Agent Orange: 17,000 barrels (3,536,000 l)

 Agent White: 9,000 barrels (1,872,000 l)

 Agent Blue: 2,900 barrels (603,200 l)

 Spills of Herbicides in Phu Cat Airbase

 Spills and leakages occurred due to handling (loading and washing).

Phu Cat: Area contaminated Dioxin, Volume to be Treated

Location

Area (m2)

dioxin 0-0.3m mean (ppt)

Treatment depth (m)

Est Soil, Sediment (m3)

Loading Area (A) 261

Herbicides in Da Nang Airbase

 Operation Ranch Hand (May 1964 – Jan 1971) - total transport and handling:

 Agent Orange: 52,700 barrels (10,961,600 l)

 Agent White: 29,000 barrels (6,032,000 l)

 Agent Green: 5,000 barrels (1,040,000 l)

 Operation Pacer Ivy (Dec 1971 – Mar 1972)

 Collected and re-drummed 8,220 barrels Agent Orange (1,709,760 l)

 Spills of Herbicides in Da Nang Airbase

 Spills and leakages occurred due to handling

(loading, washing and re-drumming

Sen Lake

Ranch Hand Sites

Pacer Ivy Sites

P2 P3 P4