Public health assessment of dioxin-contaminated fish at former US airbase, Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

Durant, James T.; Boivin, Thomas G.; Pohl, Hana R.; Sinks, Thomas H.

Ponds at the former US airbase at Ben Hoa, Vietnam are contaminated with Agent Orange. The ponds had been used for aquaculture, and in all likelihood, fish from those ponds have been sold to the public. We assessed human exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) in fish samples from the ponds. For on-base tilapia, muscle concentrations 2,3,7,8-TCDD ranged from 1.4 to 32.7 pg/g. Fat concentrations ranged from 73.3 to 3990 pg/g. Estimated human exposure doses exceed international guidelines and exceed 2,3,7,8-TCDD’s lowest adverse effect levels. The Bien Hoa fishponds are a completed human pathway for TCDD exposure.

VIETNAM; TISSUE analysis; TUMOR risk factors; DIOXINS analysis; ANIMAL experimentation; CONFIDENCE intervals; ENVIRONMENTAL monitoring; FISHES; FOOD chemistry; HERBICIDES; NUTRITION policy; NUTRITIONAL requirements; PROBABILITY theory; RESEARCH funding; STATISTICS; T-test (Statistics); WATER pollution; DATA analysis; DATA analysis software; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; ODDS ratio

International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 2015, Vol 25, Issue 3, p254

0960-3123

Academic Journal

10.1080/09603123.2014.938026