The concentrations and temporal variations of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs) in ambient air between March 2013 and February 2017 were investigated by passive air samplers containing polyurethane foam (PUF) disks in the dioxin remediation area using in-pile thermal desorption (IPTD) technology at Da Nang airport, Vietnam. The PCDD/PCDF concentrations in ambient air at each site depended on the location of the emission sources and the wind direction, the dioxin contamination level of excavated materials, the periods of excavation and transport, and the operation of the IPTD treatment system. The PCDD/PCDF concentrations were the highest in the former Agent Orange mixing and loading area (AOMLA), which was the closest to the IPTD system, with total toxic equivalent (TEQ) values ranging from 0.437 to 15.3 pg/PUF/day. The total TEQ concentrations in the Sen Lake area ranged from 0.138 to 2.41 pg/PUF/day. The lowest concentration of PCDDs/PCDFs occurred in the northern perimeter area, with total TEQ values ranging from 0.164 to 0.972 pg/PUF/day. The decreasing trend of the PCDD/PCDF concentrations in ambient air was confirmed over time at all three monitoring sites, among which there was a strong decrease in the former AOMLA after February 2015. Residents living near the Da Nang airport were at a low risk of being exposed to PCDDs/PCDFs through inhalation during remediation project implementation, while residents living close to the former AOMLA faced elevated risks with an average daily dose of PCDDs/PCDFs through inhalation ranging from 0.017 to 0.82 pg TEQ/kg body weight/day.
Keywords: Agent Orange; Health risk; PCDDs/PCDFs; Passive air sampling; Temporal variation.