Summary
34 people (23 men, 11 women) have lived in the vicinity of Da Nang airport, dioxin- contaminated areas, with dioxin in blood based on previous studies. Total blood samples were analyzed for dioxin and isomers before and after non-specific detoxification according to the Hubbard’s principle. The test was performed by gas chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry at the Eurofins Center in Germany (GC/HR-MS method) to determine and quantify 17 dioxin-like substances The results showed that the average concentration of dioxin in the blood of the exposed group was 50.47 130.74 pg/g; after treatment, dioxin was reduced to 39.37 99.93 pg/g; the difference was statistically significant with p<0.05. concentrations of dioxin and toal toxicity tend to decrease dramatically after treatment.< />m>
*Keywords: Dioxin; Agent orange; 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentration; Da Nang city.
I. INTRODUCTION
From 1960 to 1971, US military sprayed around 72 million liters of defoliant agent in southern part of Vietnam. The main compounds in this formulation is a mixture of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid; agent orange contains 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD or \"dioxin\"). TCDD chemicals are highly toxic compounds that persist in the body and have no specific detoxification [4].
There has been no specific treatment for the dioxin victims so far. Therefore, the main treatments focus on limiting and overcoming the physical damage caused by toxins. Some methods have been applied including: cachexy management, anti-stress, antioxidant, liver protection, detoxification, vitamin and physiotherapy [1].
The non-specific detoxification (TND), developed by L. Ron Hubbard, is designed to mobilize and accelerate the process of eliminating xenobiotic depositing in the fats, reducing the amount of toxic in the body. In fact, this method also has the potential to eliminate other compounds stored in the fat. This method has been applied in many parts of the world and has brought good effect. Therefore, we conducted this study aimed at: Initial evaluation of the effectiveness of non-specific detoxification method- based on the principle of Hubbard to eliminate dioxin in the body of agent orange/dioxin victims.
II. SUBJECTS AND METHODS
2.1 Subjects, time study and location study
- 34 people have lived in the viscinity of Da Nang airport (23 men, 11 women) who were treated with TND (selected victims exposed to dioxin in blood based on previous research).
- Time: September to November 2012.
- Place: 103 Military Hospital.
2.2 Methods
TND has been developed to help release and eliminate toxic wastes that accumulate in the body, which can reside in the tissues and regenerate tissues and cells [7]. Detoxification is designed to include the following elements:
- Exercise: in the form of jogging.
- Saunas stage prescribed: This stage comes with taking certain types of vitamins and other nutrients.
- Nutrition: With a regular diet supplemented with many fresh vegetables which are not cooked too thoroughly. An exact regimen includes: taking vitamins, minerals and oils. Take plenty of water to compensate for the amount of water lost due to sweating. A proper schedule of compliance, allowing participants to sleep enough hours.
- Take about 40 - 60 mL of blood before and after treatment and send the test of concentration of dioxin and isomers according to the instructions of Eurofins Center - Federal Republic of Germany, analyzed by mass spectrometry high resolution gas spectrometry (GC/HR-MS) to evaluate 17 dioxin isomer compounds.
- Hematological and biochemical tests were performed at 103 Military Hospital.
- Data were calculated by Wilcoxon (signed rank test and t-test student- SPSS 16).
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1. Gender, age distribution of research subjects
![]() |
- The mean age of subjects was 44.5 ± 13.04 years. The age group of 41 - 60 accounted for the highest proportion (50%), ages 61 - 80 occupied 11.8%.
- The mean age and age distribution by sex were not different (p>0.05).
- The people born after the war in southern Vietnam who are exposed to dioxin are found in the age group of 20 - 40. The half-life of dioxin is 7 to 11 years. This shows that only exposure from contaminated sources such as airports can explain why the study subjects have dioxin in their bodies [2, 5, 6]. According to Nguyen Hoang Thanh (2010), testing dioxin for 26 veterans participating in the southern Vietnam war, who are all agent orange/dioxin victims, showed no case of dioxin in blood. This is similar to many other scientists’ reports that dioxin in Vietnam is only from the source of the US spray in the war [1].
Table 2. The results of blood biochemical indices before and after detoxification of the study group
![]() |
Comparison before and after study in the same group shows that there is a decrease in cholesterol index before and after treatment, with a difference of p<0.05. other indicators do not change after treatment. detoxification method based on the principle of hubbard did biochemical indices.< />>
But only cholesterol decreased after treatment, which is explained by the effect of niacin (vitamin B3 or otherwise known as vitamin PP). Niacin, which plays a key role in reducing cholesterol process, is involved in more than 200 body reactions to release energy and to provide cellular repellents. Niacin is made up of two coenzymes called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), along with biotin (vitamin H), which involve in the breakdown process of food into usable substances, lowering “bad” cholesterol-LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), increasing good cholesterol-HDL (High-density lipoprotein) with optimal dosage.
Table 3. Change of hematological indices before and after treatment of the study group
![]() |
There were no differences in the hematological indices of the study group before and after TND with p>0.05.
TND had not changed and damaged to blood cells.
Table 4. The change in the CDD before and after treatment
![]() |
- Before treatment, the mean concentration of dioxane - 2,3,7.8-TetraDCD (pg/g) in the blood of the exposed group was 50.47 ± 130.74 pg/g: after treatment, the index was reduced to 39.29 ± 99.93 pg/g; the difference was statistically significant with p<0.05. other isomers including 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptacdd; octa cdd changes after treatment but not statistically significant with p>0.05.0.05.>
- Exercise is the most important means to increase circulation to mobilize and circulate the toxin deposits. Therefore without exercising, the effectiveness of detoxification will be limited. Niacin, on the other hand, has the effect of lowering cholesterol, so fat-soluble products such as dioxin can easily be excreted through the bile into the feces [7].
Table 5. The change in the CDF and TEQ concentrations before and after treatment
![]() |
Before detoxification, 2,3,7,8-TetraDCDF and its isomers: 2,3,4,7,8-PentaCDF; 1,2,3,4,7,8-HexaCDF; OctaCDF in the blood of the exposed group are higher than after treatment. The difference was statistically significant with p<0.05.< />>
- By using the TEQ index, we find that there is a trend in favor of the victim to reduce the toxic content after treatment.
- TND is a non-specific treatment but it has a meaningful application in practice.
- After exercising, sitting in the sauna aims to get rid of waste through: feces (the digestive tract), sweat, and urine (the urinary tract). Dioxins and isomers are insoluble in water and therefore excreted through the feces. The rigorous and accurate combination of the elements of the Hubbard-based method make the effective detoxification that no individual element can make.
IV. CONCLUSION
Before detoxifying with Hubbard’s method, the mean 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentrations in the blood of the exposed groups was 130.74 ± 50.47 pg/g lipid; after treatment, dioxin decreased to 39.29 ± 99.93; the difference was statistically significant with p<0.05. toxic equivalent (teq) also decreased after treatment with statistically significant. some other isomers change without statistical significance.< />>
The detoxification method based on the Hubbard’s principle does not damage the kidneys, liver and blood cells, but reduces the cholesterol significantly.
- Initially, the method of detoxifying Hubbard could remove dioxin and its isomers from the exposed Vietnamese victims.
REFERENCES
- Hue NT, Nam VD, Thuong NV, Huyen NT, Phuong NT, Hung NX, Tuan NH, Son LK, Minh NH. Determination of PCDD/Fs in breast milk of women living in the vicinities of Da Nang Agent Orange hot spot (Vietnam) and estimation of the infant’s daily intake’. Sci Total Environ. 2014 Sep 1;491-492:212-8. Doi10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.02.054. Epub 2014 Mar 6.
- Tran TH, Nguyen NB, Le VA. New strategy toward dioxin risk reduction for local residents surrounding severe dioxin hotspots in Vietnam. Glob Health Action. 2013 Jun 20;6:21105. doi: 10.3402/gha.v6i0.21105. PubMed PMID: 23791241; PubMe Central PMCID: PMC3689901.
- Anh NT, Nishijo M, Tai PT, Maruzeni S, Morikawa Y, Anh TH, Van Luong H, Dam PM, Nakagawa H, Son le K, Nishijo H. Maternal risk factors associated with increased dioxin concentrations in breast milk in a hot spot of dioxin contamination in Vietnam. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2014 Sep, 24 (5), 489-96. doi: 10.1038/jes.2013.73. Epub 2013 Oct 23. PMID:24149970. Int J Environ Health Res. 2014 Aug 4:1-11. PMID: 25087452
- Manh HD, Kido T, Okamoto R, Xianliang S, Anh le T, Supratman S, Maruzeni S, Nishijo M, Nakagawa H, Honma S, Nakano T, Takasuga T, Nhu DD, Hung NN, Son le K. Serum dioxin levels in Vietnamese men more than 40 years after herbicide spraying. Environ Sci Technol. 2014 Mar 18;48(6):3496-503. doi: 10.1021/es404853h. Epub 2014 Mar 4. PubMed PMID: 24552243.
Nguyen Hoang Thanh[1]; Hoang Manh An1
Do Quyet[2]; Nguyen Ba Vuong1
[1] 103 Military Hospital
[2] Vietnam Military Medical University
Comment