A Comprehensive Evaluation of Dioxins and Furans Occurrence in River Sediments from a Secondary Steel Recycling Craft Village in Northern Vietnam
Hung Xuan Nguyen,
Xuyen Thi Nguyen,
Hang Thi Hong Mai,
Huong Thi Nguyen,
Nam Duc Vu,
Thao Thi Phuong Pham,
Trung Quang Nguyen,
Dat Tien Nguyen,
Nam Thanh Duong,
Anh Le Tuan Hoang,
Tung Ngoc Nguyen,
Nhan Van Le,
Ha Viet Dao,
Minh Truong Ngoc,
Minh Quang Bui
Affiliations
Hung Xuan Nguyen
Faculty of Chemistry, Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Xuyen Thi Nguyen
Faculty of Chemistry, Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Hang Thi Hong Mai
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Huong Thi Nguyen
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Nam Duc Vu
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Thao Thi Phuong Pham
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Trung Quang Nguyen
Institute of Environmental Science and Public Health, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Dat Tien Nguyen
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Nam Thanh Duong
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Anh Le Tuan Hoang
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Tung Ngoc Nguyen
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Nhan Van Le
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Ha Viet Dao
Institute of Oceanography, 1 Cau Da Street, Nha Trang 57111, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
Minh Truong Ngoc
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
Minh Quang Bui
Center for High Technology Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11353, Vietnam
This first study investigated the presence of dioxins and furans in river sediments around a craft village in Vietnam, focusing on Secondary Steel Recycling. Sediment samples were collected from various locations along the riverbed near the Da Hoi Secondary Steel Recycling village in Bac Ninh province. The analysis was conducted using a HRGC/HRMS-DFS device, detecting a total of 17 dioxin/furan isomers in all samples, with an average total concentration of 288.86 ng/kg d.w. The concentrations of dioxin/furan congeners showed minimal variation among sediment samples, ranging from 253.9 to 344.2 ng/kg d.w. The predominant compounds in the dioxin group were OCDD, while in the furan group, they were 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF and OCDF. The chlorine content in the molecule appeared to be closely related to the concentration of dioxins and their percentage distribution. However, the levels of furan isomers did not vary significantly. The distribution of these compounds was not dependent on the flow direction, as they were mainly found in solid waste and are not water-soluble. Although the hepta and octa congeners had high concentrations, when converted to TEQ values, the tetra and penta groups (for dioxins) and the penta and hexa groups (for furans) contributed more to toxicity. Furthermore, the source of dioxins in sediments at Da Hoi does not only originate from steel recycling production activities but also from other combustion sites. The average total toxicity was 10.92 ng TEQ/kg d.w, ranging from 4.99 to 17.88 ng TEQ/kg d.w, which did not exceed the threshold specified in QCVN 43:2017/BTNMT, the National Technical Regulation on Sediment Quality. Nonetheless, these levels are still concerning. The presence of these toxic substances not only impacts aquatic organisms in the sampled water environment but also poses potential health risks to residents living nearby.
