Summary
Summary Agent Orange
A summary of the purpose and uses of Agent Orange.
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Agent OrangeAgent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant. It was a tactical herbicide, the U.S. military
used to get rid of leaves and vegetation for military operations mainly during the Vietnam War.
The veterans, who were subject to Agent Orange, may have certain related cancers or other
illnesses.
The two active ingredients in the Agent Orange herbicide combination were equal amounts of
2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid). The
combination of the two ingredients, contained traces of TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-
dioxin), which was an unwanted product of herbicide production. TCDD is a carcinogen
(something that causes cancer) and is where the real danger of Agent Orange lies. TCDD (a
dioxin) is absorbed and stored in fat tissue. Illnesses that come due to putting oneself at a risk
of Agent Orange, include: many kinds of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, certain types of
heart and liver diseases and hypothyroidism.
Agent Orange was sprayed at up to 20 times the concentration the manufacturers
recommended for killing plants. It defoliated millions of acres of forests and farmland. Large
areas of that land remain degraded and useless to this day. The chemical dioxin in Agent
Orange can remain toxic in the soil for decades. Soil samples have now been analysed from
both the areas that were heavily sprayed and the former American military bases where Agent
Orange and other chemicals were stored and handled. In almost all cases, measured dioxin
levels were below Government of Vietnam threshold standards. However some soils at three of
the former military bases did have very high concentrations of dioxin. To prevent dioxin from
entering the food chain and affecting both adults and children in surrounding areas, these
chemical “hot spots” are now being cleaned up.
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