Basic Problems of Human and Environmental Consequences of Toxic Chemicals/Dioxin in Vietnam

Vietnamese scientists, in their research, have discovered alteration of genes, chromosome, protein, immunodeficiency among those with historical exposure to chemicals/dioxin and with high concentration of dioxin in blood.

(HANOI) - With about 80 million liters of herbicides, containing at least 366 kg dioxin, the chemical/dioxin war by the America in Southern Vietnam is the largest chemical one in the history of humankind.

The high and very high concentration of dioxin residues (hundreds of times higher than the permissible level of the Environment Protection Agency of the United State) in the environment, animals and humans, at present, in some hot spots is clear evidence for the long-term impacts of chemicals/dioxin, confirming the origin of dioxin from warring herbicides used by the US.

Over two million hectares of inland and mangrove forests were devastated by toxic chemicals have encountered difficulties in rehabilitations or suffered from slow rehabilitation; biodiversity in these areas has been reduced; some rare faunal and floral species have become extinct or decreased.

Research works have been implemented by Vietnamese and foreign scientists, including the epidemiology research on 47,000 war veterans covering structure, percentage of diseases especially cancer, reproduction catastrophe, birth defect among those with exposure to toxic chemicals/dioxin compared to those without exposure.

Dioxin is the most toxic of those found out or produced by man. Dioxin is found in toxic chemicals used by the US during the war in Viet Nam – one of the major causes of the very high percentage of the disabled in Viet Nam.

The government and people of Viet Nam have taken efforts to hold a number of activities of research and overcoming of consequences of toxic chemicals/dioxin; hundreds of scientific research works have been undertaken by Vietnamese scientists in coordination with foreign scientists; nearly 1 million victims of toxic chemicals/dioxin contracting diseases have received support from the government and people of Viet Nam; to support over 200,000 victims alone, the government of Vietnam has provided about 50 million USD/year.

In some areas with heavy pollution, toxic chemicals/dioxin have continued to affect the environment and human health. The government of Vietnam has taken measures for control, yet only partially meeting the requirements for thorough control of the impacts of dioxin.

The Government of the United State has participated in research on Dioxin residual in Danang airbase since 2005. At present time, the Government of the United Stated is being in cooperation with the Vietnam Government to develop and implement the project of dioxin treatment in Danang airbase. Both two sides need to more push the project in progress, at the same time to cooperate in dioxin treatment in Bien Hoa and Phu cat airbases.

Global Environmental Facilitate (GEF) in cooperation with United Nations Development Programme is financing Office of National Steering Committee 33 to implement the project “Environmental Remediation of Dioxin Contaminated Hotspots in Vietnam”. The project is linking and supporting other projects toward absolutely dioxin remediation at hotspots from 2011 to 2015.

Dioxin remediation at hotspots is paralleling with overcoming of consequences of herbicides/dioxin in humans. The programs on supporting the disabled, including herbicides victims, will be implemented with bigger scale. The programs on reproductive consultation to decrease children with disabilities will be developed at hotspots.

The Vietnam Government is continuing to develop the program of scientific research in period of 2011 to 2015 toward basic issues on herbicides consequences to environment and human in Vietnam. The program will in linking and support other projects on herbicides consequences.

The project “Dioxin Laboratory” funded by Bill Gate & Melinda and Atlantic Philanthropies is being implemented. With young researches who trained on dioxin analyzing in Japan, German and America, at the beginning of 2011, the Dioxin Laboratory will start to analyze dioxin from samples of soil, mud and other biosamples to serve on researches and overcoming of herbicides in Vietnam.

The Vietnam Government always welcomes and makes favourable conditions to organizations and individuals in nation and abroad to participate in research and overcoming of consequences of herbicides in Vietnam and request the United States of America to continue participating in overcoming of consequences of herbicides in Vietnam at larger scale and more effectiveness.

Further information, please contact Office of National Steering Committee on Overcoming of Consequences of Herbicides used by the United States in Viet Nam (Office of National Steering Committee 33) , 83, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ha Noi, Tel: 0084 37736354; FAX: 0084 37736356.