Relationship between levels of dioxin in food and blood in some areas of Vietnam

Nội dung text: Relationship between levels of dioxin in food and blood in some areas of Vietnam

1. JOURNAL OF MILITARY PHARMACO-MEDICINE N09-2017 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVELS OF DIOXIN IN FOOD AND BLOOD IN SOME AREAS OF VIETNAM Vu Tung Son*; Doan Huy Hau* Vu Chien Thang*; Ha The Tan* SUMMARY Objectives: To assess levels of dioxin in food and human blood and determine the relationship between levels of dioxin in food and human blood in some areas of Vietnam. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional study on 108 human blood samples including males and females, 33 samples of chicken, 33 samples of pork and 33 samples of fish were collected at 33 sites in 16 provinces. Samples were then quantified with high resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) by the U.S. EPA 1613 B. Result: Levels of dioxin in blood in the sprayed area was (10.34 pg/g lipid) higher than in the unsprayed area (6.94 pg/g lipid) with p < 0.05. The levels of dioxin in blood in the dioxin-contaminated area was (9.62 pg/g lipid) higher than in the non-contamination area (8.24 pg/g lipid) with p < 0.05. For food, chicken had the highest dioxin content. Chicken and pork were positively correlated with dioxin content in human blood. Conclusion: Levels of dioxin in blood in the area sprayed with herbicides was higher than in the unsprayed area. Similarly, they were higher in the dioxin contamination than in the non-contamination area. Chicken and pork have positive corelation with dioxin content in human blood. * Keywords: Dioxin; Dioxin in food; Dioxin in blood; Relationship. INTRODUCTION tendency to bioaccumulate through the Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) food chain. These contaminants can be include a group of pollutants that are formed as unintentional by products of a semi-volatile, persistent in the environment, number of chemical processes, as well as bio-accumulative and toxic for humans in almost combustion process. More than and aminals. Two groups of POPs, namely 90 percent of dioxin penetrates the human polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), body through food. Therefore, the aim of poly-chlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) this study is: To evaluate the relationship and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are between levels of dioxin in food (chicken, persistently organic pollutants of great pork and fish) and those in blood in several concern because of their high toxicity and regions of Vietnam. * Vietnam Military Medical University Corresponding author: Vu Tung Son (tungsonhvqy@gmail.com) Date received: 11/09/2017 Date accepted: 21/11/2017 152
2. JOURNAL OF MILITARY PHARMACO-MEDICINE N09-2017 SUBJECTS AND METHODS Samples were selected based on the 1. Subjects. characteristics of each region. The areas were sprayed with herbicides during the - The first subject: People who have war (from the 17th parallel to the south, lived in study area for at least 15 years which was encrypted “B”) and the area (no occupational exposure to dioxin), including was unsprayed with herbicides during the males and females. After that, they were war in Vietnam (from the 17th parallel to taken blood to quantify levels of dioxin. the North, which was encrypted “A”). - The second subject: Food (chicken, In turn, each area was divided into those pork and fish) which was collected at the at risk of dioxin contamination, which was same area; blood samples (food specimens encrypted “1” (industrial production area were collected in the lake or market). or the area was sprayed directly with Afterward, they were quantified levels of herbicides) and those without dioxin dioxin. contamination, which was encrypted “0”. 2. Methods. At each sampling point, each food was 33 samples of chicken, 33 samples of taken from 6 to 10 specimens and then pork, 33 samples of fish and 108 samples were pulled to one sample. For blood of blood were collected in 33 wards of specimen, each person was taken 10 mL 16 provinces in Vietnam (Hoabinh, Hagiang, whose blood samples were grouped by Thainguyen, Ninhbinh, Thanhhoa, age and gender. Nghean, Quangtri, Hue, Lamdong, The sample size and sampling according Kontum, Hochiminh City, Binhduong, to US EPA (United States Environmental Dongnai, Longan, Kiengiang, Angiang). Protection Agency) guidelines. Encode: A The area was not sprayed with herbicides during the war in Vietnam B The areas were sprayed with herbicides during the war AB-0 Areas are non-dioxin contamination at both A or B AB-1 Areas were at risk of dioxin contamination at both A or B * Analysis: Quantification 7 PCDD (polychlorinated dibenzo para dioxins) and 10 PCDF (polychlorinated dibenzofurans) in blood and food by method US EPA 1613B, then compute WHO TEQ concentrations (toxic equivalents). 153
3. JOURNAL OF MILITARY PHARMACO-MEDICINE N09-2017 RESULTS Table 1: Levels of PCDD/F (TEQ) in blood by region. TEQ (pg/g lipid) Region Number size p-value Min - max X SD A 36 3.26 - 26.96 6.94 ± 4.41 < 0.001 B 72 3.33 - 23.71 10.34 ± 4.76 Total 108 3.26 - 26.96 9.21 ± 4.89 Average TEQ was 9.21 pg/g lipid; average TEQ in blood at the areas which were sprayed with herbicides during the war was 10.34 pg/g lipid higher significantly than the area without herbicides in the same period (6.94 pg/g lipid) (p < 0.001). Table 2: Levels of PCDD/F (TEQ) in blood by contaminated areas. TEQ (pg/g lipid) Feature Numbers p-value Min - max X ± SD AB-0 32 3.26 - 26.96 8.24 ± 5.35 0.04 AB-1 76 3.33 - 23.71 9.62 ± 4.67 Average TEQ in blood in the area at risk of dioxin contamination (AB-1) was 9.26 pg/g lipid, higher significantly than those without dioxin contamination (AB-0) (8.24 pg/g lipid) (p < 0.05). Table 3: Levels of PCDD/F (TEQ) in chicken, pork and fish by region. TEQ (pg/g) Food Region Numbers p Min - max X SD A 15 0.19 - 6.96 1.8 ± 1.9 Chicken (pg/g lipid) 0.005 B 18 0.53 - 13.5 4.41 ± 3.4 A 15 0.09 - 1.76 0.69 ± 0.49 Pork (pg/g lipid) 0.07 B 18 0.28 - 4.51 1.33 ± 1.18 A 15 0.1 - 0.65 0.28 ± 0.16 Fish (pg/g wet weight) 0.4 B 18 0.16 - 0.79 0.29 ± 0.16 Average TEQ in chicken, pork and fish in the areas sprayed with herbicides was higher than those unsprayed with herbicides. However, only TEQ in chickens were different significantly with p < 0.05. 154
4. JOURNAL OF MILITARY PHARMACO-MEDICINE N09-2017 Table 4: Levels of PCDD/F (TEQ) in chicken, pork and fish by contaminated areas. TEQ (pg/g) Food Region Numbers p Min - max X SD AB-0 11 0.4 - 6.96 2.3 ± 2.14 Chicken (pg/g lipid) 0.4 AB-1 22 0.19 - 13.5 3.69 ± 3.44 AB-0 11 0.09 - 1.55 0.64 ± 0.45 Pork (pg/g lipid) 0.08 AB-1 22 0.22 - 4.51 1,25 ± 1.1 AB-0 11 0.1 - 0.59 0.26 ± 0.15 Fish (pg/g wet weight) 0.6 AB-1 22 0.13 - 0.79 0.29 ± 0.17 Average TEQ in food in the area at risk of dioxin contamination (AB-1) was higher than non-contamination dioxin area (AB-0). However, there was no significant difference between the two regions with p > 0.05. Table 5: Corelate Pearson between TEQ in chicken, pork and fish and TEQ in blood. TEQ Levels of dioxin Chicken Pork Fish (pg/g lipid) Number size r p r p r p TEQ in blood 108 0.25 0.009 0.2 0.04 0.05 0.6 TEQ in blood were positively corelative to TEQ in chicken and pork (p < 0.05) with r = 0.25 and 0.2, respectively. Table 6: Correlate Pearson between TEQ in chicken, pork and fish and TEQ in blood by region. TEQ TEQ in blood Number Chicken Pork Fish by region size r p r p r p A 36 0.06 0.7 -0.03 0.8 0.38 0.02 B 72 0.15 0.19 0.15 0.2 -0.14 0.25 TEQ in blood were positively associated with fish at unsprayed areas (p < 0.05) with r = 0.38. 155
5. JOURNAL OF MILITARY PHARMACO-MEDICINE N09-2017 Table 7: Correlate Pearson between TEQ in chicken, pork and fish and TEQ in blood by contaminated areas. TEQ TEQ in blood by Number Chicken Pork Fish contaminated areas size r p r p r p AB-0 32 -0.04 0.8 0.1 0.6 0.46 0.008 AB-1 76 0.3 0.008 0.2 0.08 -0.11 0.3 TEQ in blood were positively associated with fish at unsprayed areas (p < 0.05) with r = 0.46 and chicken at sprayed area (p < 0.05) with r = 0.3. DISCUSSION was (0.28 pg/g lipid) also higher than that The results showed that the content of in above study and no pork samples with TEQ content exceeded the allowable limit. TEQ dioxin in our study was from several For fish, the TEQ content in our study in times to dozens of times lower than that both regions was lower than fish specimens in the study by the Hatfield Consultants in Baltic (2.25 pg/g lipid), but our results and Office of National Committee 33 in were higher than fish samples in the Bienhoa Airport and Phucat Airport which ocean (0.11 pg/g lipid). In the monitoring were reported in 2009 (5.64 - 8.350 pg/g study in Latvia, TEQ content in chicken wet weight in fish) and 2011 (4.54 - 4,050 pg/g was higher than in other types of meat, wet weight in fish), respectively. Because too [4]. the samples in the study by Hatfield and Levels of dioxin in chicken, pork and Office 33 were taken in the dioxin hotpot fish were related those in blood depending [1, 2]. Compared with 187 studies by on the region and characteristics. In particular, Dario Consonni on 29,687 subjects from the content of chicken and pork had a 26 countries in the world for 10 years statistically significant association with (1989 to 2010), our results were lower than that his study (12.4 pg/g lipid) [3]. levels of dioxin in blood. However, in terms of characteristics, there was a positive In terms of food, a monitoring study in corelation between dioxin content in fish Latvia from the year 2009 - 2011 showed that the TEQ content of chicken in both and human blood in the areas unsprayed sprayed and non-sprayed areas was with herbicides. When analyzing the 0.78 pg/g lipid, lower than that in our study dioxin-contaminated characteristics, there (4.41 and 1.8 pg/g lipid, respectively). was a positive association between dioxin Specificially, TEQ content in all chicken concentration in fish and blood in the non- samples reached the allowable limit. As contaminated dioxin area, meanwhile in for pork, the TEQ content in our study dioxin-contaminated areas, there was also 156
6. JOURNAL OF MILITARY PHARMACO-MEDICINE N09-2017 a positive correlation between dioxin content options for mitigating impacts. Hatfield Consultants in chicken and human blood. West Vancouver. British Columbia, Canada and Office of National Committee 33, MONRE CONCLUSION Hanoi, Vietnam. 2009. The level of dioxin in blood in the 2. Hatfield Consultants, Office of the National Steering Committee 33, MONRE. sprayed areas was (10.34 pg/g lipid) Environmental and human health assessment higher than in the unsprayed areas (6.94 of dioxin contamination at Bienhoa Airbase, pg/g lipid) (p < 0.001). The levels of dioxin Vietnam. 200 - 850 Harbourside Drive, North in blood in the dioxin-contaminated areas Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7P 0A3. was (9.62 pg/g lipid) higher than in the 2011. non-contamination areas (8.24 pg/g lipid) 3. Consonni D, Sindaco R, Bertazzi P.A. with p < 0.05. Chicken and pork have Blood levels of dioxins, furans, dioxin-like PCBs, and TEQs in general populations: a review. positive correlation with dioxin content in 1989 - 2010. Environment International. 2012, human blood. 44, pp.151-162. REFERENCES 4. Zacs D, Bartkevics V. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and dioxin- 1. Hatfield Consultants, Office of National like polychlorinated biphenyls in food and feed Committee 33. Comprehensive assessment of in Latvia in 2009-2011. Food Additives & dioxin contamination in Danang Airport, Vietnam: Contaminants Part B, Surveillance. 2014, 7 (3), Environmental levels, Human exposure and pp.186-220. 157