Environmental health risk assessment of dioxin in foods at the two most severe dioxin hot spots in Vietnam

Abstract

Background: Bien Hoa and Da Nang airbases were bulk storages for Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and currently are the two most severe dioxin hot spots. Objectives: This study assesses the health risk of exposure to dioxin through foods for local residents living in seven wards surrounding these airbases. Methods: This study follows the Australian Environmental Health Risk Assessment Framework to assess the health risk of exposure to dioxin in foods. Forty-six pooled samples of commonly consumed local foods were collected and analyzed for dioxin/furans. A food frequency and Knowledge-Attitude-Practice survey was also undertaken at 1000 local households, various stakeholders were involved and related publications were reviewed. Results: Total dioxin/furan concentrations in samples of local "high-risk" foods (e.g. free range chicken meat and eggs, ducks, freshwater fish, snail and beef) ranged from 3.8. pg. TEQ/g to 95. pg. TEQ/g, while in "low-risk" foods (e.g. caged chicken meat and eggs, seafoods, pork, leafy vegetables, fruits, and rice) concentrations ranged from 0.03. pg. TEQ/g to 6.1. pg. TEQ/g. Estimated daily intake of dioxin if people who did not consume local high risk foods ranged from 3.2. pg. TEQ/kg. bw/day to 6.2. pg. TEQ/kg. bw/day (Bien Hoa) and from 1.2. pg. TEQ/kg. bw/day to 4.3. pg. TEQ/kg. bw/day (Da Nang). Consumption of local high risk foods resulted in extremely high dioxin daily intakes (60.4-102.8. pg. TEQ/kg. bw/day in Bien Hoa; 27.0-148.0. pg. TEQ/kg. bw/day in Da Nang). Conclusions: Consumption of local "high-risk" foods increases dioxin daily intakes far above the WHO recommended TDI (1-4. pg. TEQ/kg. bw/day). Practicing appropriate preventive measures is necessary to significantly reduce exposure and health risk.