Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Study finds large dioxin emissions from Vietnam's waste treatment plants

http://www.thanhniennews.com/health/study-finds-large-dioxin-emissions-from-vietnams-waste-treatment-plants-40949.html
Many incinerators that burn industrial and medical waste in Vietnam are discharging dangerous amounts of dioxin, some at 5,000 times the safe limit, according to a new research.
Le Ke Son, the lead researcher and a former official at the environment ministry, said the report is the first time “Vietnam admits that there’s dioxin discharged from industrial activities besides from dioxin left from the war.”
The research was conducted by Steering Committee 33, a national committee set up to mitigate the effects of toxic chemicals used by the US during the Vietnam War, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Dioxin, one of the most toxic and persistent compounds which can leave impacts including cancer through generations, can be inhaled or digested.
Environmental group Greenpeace has said it is the most toxic manmade chemical ever identified. Researchers said dioxin in sewage sludge can easily be absorbed into food through soil and water.
Incinerators are responsible for most of the dioxin discharged in Vietnam, the research has revealed, based on the amount of dioxin and dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) measured in their emissions and sewage sludge.  
Vietnam has not developed technologies to recycle and treat waste properly and mostly burns all of its garbage together.
The research team took 18 emission samples from medical, urban and industrial incinerators and all of them contained dioxin or DRCs, with seven exceeding the safe limit.

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