It is estimated that 70,000 cubic meters of soil and mud of the vast area in the north of Da Nang airport will be scooped up and go under the latest method for detoxification of dioxin, according to the meeting held on Wednesday by the USAID and the Ministry of National Defense in the city.

The area around the sullage pit inside the Da Nang airport is confirmed of heavily infecting dioxin - Photo: Tuoi Tre

Da Nang airport is the most contaminated area in Vietnam, followed by Bien Hoa airport in the southern Dong Nai Province and Phu Cat airport in the central province of Binh Dinh, especially at the areas used for mixing the substances and the storehouses in the airports.

The project, which deploys the latest technology of decontamination to be ever applied in Vietnam, will cost US$41 million and be carried out by a US contractor.

Infected soil and mud will be scooped up and put in a vast and well-built tank which is 100m long, 70m wide and 8m high. The tank acts as a ‘stove’ to bake the soil to a temperature of 335 degrees Celsius by 1,254 heat-transferring units.

“The process of absorbing the heat and cooling down at such a high temperature causes the Agent Orange/dioxin related toxics to completely decompose itself into carbon dioxide, water and chloride,” said Dr. Than Thanh Cong from the Department of Science, Technology and Environment under the defense ministry of Vietnam.

It will take the project four years to ‘stew’ and cleanse the toxics from the 30 hectares of land inside the Da Nang airport.

Ms. Randa Chichakli, a representative of the US contractor, said the concentration of dioxin will be constantly observed and measured during the process of detoxification to ensure that it will not affect locals and staff of the project.

“The job will be halted in case the concentration of dioxin surges over the permitted level, or under heavy raining and strong wind,” she confirmed.

Source: tuoitrenews.vn