Friday, March 14, 2014

Vietnam News: Threat from persistent organic pollutants in Mekong basin (10 March 2014)

Threat from persistent organic pollutants in Mekong basin Thứ hai, ngày 10 tháng 03 năm 2014 cập nhật lúc 09:38

The recent findings by the US Geological Survey reveal some hotspots of persistent organic pollutants in some parts of Mekong basin. This is a significant threat to residents’ heath and wildlife in the area.

After testing 531 animal samples collected from 450 wetlands across 5 Southeast Asian countries, the research team found that fauna samples collected from some hotspot sites such as Tonle Sap have high chemical concentration.

The research team also analyzed the concentration and distribution of endosulfan, a persistent organic pollutant that has been banned in the U.S. and some other countries. The study indicates that the total loading of persistent organic pollutants in wetland sediment located in Mekong basin is generally low; however, there are some hotspot sites where concentrations exceeded established ecological risk thresholds.

“The study findings provide important database for guiding development and conducting preservation in Mekong basin in the future. Accordingly, future tasks focus on the classification and distribution of wetlands in Mekong basin, investigation into heavy metal contamination and monitoring of surface elevation in the coastline of Southeast Asia”, said Scott Wilson of the USGS National Wetlands Research Center.
 
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