AGENT ORANGE
AND THE VIETNAM WAR
WHAT IS AGENT ORANGE
Agent Orange was one of several defoliants (herbicides) containing trace amounts of a toxic contaminant, TCDD (dioxin). Defoliants were used during the Vietnam War to kill vast areas of jungle growth. The real, Agent Orange, was a 1:1 mixture of the n-butyl esters of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). A byproduct contaminant of the manufacturing process for 2,4,5-T (used in all the agents during the Vietnam War) is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD). TCDD is commonly referred to as dioxin.
Agent Orange is the code name for an herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War, when an estimated 21,136,000 gal. (80 000 m³) of Agent Orange were sprayed across South Vietnam.[1] 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.[2]
From 1961 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides" employed in the Herbicidal Warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange (as well as Agents Purple, Pink, and Green) dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused health problems for those exposed during the Vietnam War. Agents Blue and White were part of the same program but did not contain dioxins.
Studies of populations exposed to dioxin, though not necessarily Agent Orange, indicate increased risk of various types of cancer and genetic defects; the effect of long-term low-level exposure has not been established.
Agent Orange was given its name from the colour of the 55 U.S. gallon (210 litre) orange-striped barrels it was shipped in. It is a roughly 1:1 mixture of two phenoxyl herbicides in iso-octyl ester form, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T).
Internal memos from the companies that manufactured it reveal that at the time Agent Orange was sold to the U.S. government for use in Vietnam it was known that it contained a dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), a by-product of the manufacture 2,4,5-T.[9] The National Toxicology Program has classified TCDD to be a human carcinogen, frequently associated with soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In a study by the Institute of Medicine, a link has been found between dioxin exposure and diabetes.[10][11] Three studies have suggested an increase in the risk of acute myelogenous leukemia in the children of Vietnam veterans, which might be associated with exposure to Agent Orange.[12] A variety of other conditions have been suggested to be linked to exposure, but studies have failed to confirm a link with these diseases.[13] Just 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of TCDD was released in the Seveso disaster causing widespread effects on people and livestock.
Brief History of Agent Orange
In the early years of WWII, a grant was provided by the National Research Council to develop a chemical to destroy rice crops in Japan (the major food source of the Japanese). 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T (Agent Orange) was the result. A discussion between President Roosevelt and White House Chief of Staff, Admiral William D. Leahy determined that this heinous chemical should not be used. Agent Orange was not used during WWII.
In 1961, President Kennedy signed two orders allowing Agent Orange to be used in Vietnam. One order to destroy crops, and another order to defoliate the jungle. [Note: These orders were signed prior to major U.S. intervention.]
Agent Orange and other herbicides were used extensively through 1970 (and thereafter until the end of the Vietnam War).
GENERAL LINKS AND FACTS ON AGENT ORANGE
DIOXIN NEWS ARTICLES
OPERATION RANCH HAND
UNITED STATES
NEW ZEALAND
AUSTRALIA
CANADA
INGREDIENTS
2,4,-D is a white crystalline irritant compound used as a defoliant and weed killer called also 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; (Chemical formula C8H6Cl2O3).
2,4,5,-T an irritant compound used especially as an herbicide and defoliant called also trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. (Chemical formula C8H5Cl3O3).
Picloram is a defoliant and systemic herbicide designed to break down very slowly in the soil (Chemical formula C6H3Cl3N2O2).
AGENT PURPLE: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5,-T.
AGENT GREEN: Used 2,4,5-T.
AGENT PINK: Used 2,4,5-T.
AGENT ORANGE: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T.
AGENT WHITE: A formulation of Picloram and 2,4,-D.
AGENT BLUE: Contained cacodylic acid.
AGENT ORANGE II: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T used in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 (also sometimes referred to as "Super Orange").
DINOXOL: A formulation of 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T. Small quantities were tested in Vietnam between 1962 and 1964.
TRINOXOL: Contained 2,4,5-T. Small quantities tested in Vietnam 1962-1964.
OTHER AGENTS
> AGENT ORANGE II: 1967-1968:
The same as Orange but with the substitution of the isooctyl ester of 2,4,5-T for the n-butyl ester of 2,4,5-T.
> AGENT PURPLE: 1962 – 1965:
Purple was first formulated by the Army Chemical Corps at Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland in the mid-1950s time period. It was first used in the Camp Drum, New York defoliation tests in 1959 (see Leaflet Site 8). The formulation was a brown liquid soluble in diesel fuel and organic solvents but insoluble in water. One gallon of Purple contained 8.6 pounds active ingredient (acid equivalents) of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. The percentages of the Purple formulation were:
n-butyl 2,4-D 50%
n-butyl 2,4,5-T 30%
iso-butyl 2,4,5-T 20%
> AGENT WHITE: 1966 – 1970:
Agent White is the code name for a powerful herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War. The name comes from the white stripe painted on the barrels to identify the contents. It was one of the so-called "rainbow herbicides" that included the more infamous Agent Orange.
Agent White is a 4:1 mixture of 2,4-D and Picloram (also known as Tordon 101). Unlike the more infamous Agent Orange, Agent White did not contain dioxin, which was introduced into the other defoliants through the addition of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). However, it appears the Picloram was contaminated with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and nitrosamines, both known carcinogens. Around 1985, Dow Chemical was forced to re-certify Picloram after having greatly reduced the amounts of both contaminates
White was a dark brown viscous liquid that was soluble in water but insoluble in diesel fuel or organic solvents. Herbicide White first arrived in Vietnam in January 1966. One gallon of White contained 0.54 pounds of the active ingredient 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram) and 2.00 pounds of the active ingredient of 2,4-D. White was formulated to contain a 1:4 mixture of the triisopropanolamine
salts of picloram and 2,4-D. The percentages of the formulation were:
triisopropanolamine salt of picloram 10.2%
triisopropanolamine salt of 2,4-D 39.6%
inert ingredient (primarily the 50.2% solvent, triisopropanolamine)
> AGENT BLUE: (Liquid), 1966 – 1971: In 1961
Agent Blue is one of the "rainbow herbicides" that is known for its use by the United States during the Vietnam War. It was sprayed on rice paddies and other crops in an attempt to deprive the Vietnamese of valuable crops. Agent Blue is a mixture of two arsenic-containing compounds, sodium cacodylate and cacodylic acid. Although it has a similar-sounding name, Agent Blue is chemically unrelated to the more infamous Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the war.
The first Blue (95 drums) that was shipped to Vietnam was a powdered formulation that required water. In February 1966, the first Liquid Blue arrived in Vietnam. Herbicide Blue was a clear yellowish-tan liquid that was soluble in water, but insoluble in diesel fuel. One gallon of Blue contained 3.1 pounds of the active ingredient cacodylic acid. Blue contained both the cacodylic acid as the free acid and the sodium salt of cacodylic acid. The percentages of the formulation were:
cacodylic acid 4.7%
sodium cacodylate 26.4%
surfactant 3.4%
sodium chloride 5.5%
water 59.5%
antifoam agent 0.5%
> AGENT PINK: 1962 –1964:
Pink was a formulation of 2,4,5-T used extensively in the early RANCH HAND operations and in the defoliation test program in Thailand in 1964. One gallon of Pink contained 8.16 pound active ingredient 2,4,5-T. The percentages of the Pink formulation were:
n-butyl 2,4,5-T 60%
iso-butyl 2,4,5-T 40%
> AGENT GREEN: 1962:
Green was a single component formulation consisting of the nbutyl ester of 2,4,5-T. It was used in limited quantities in 1962. The formulation was a light brown liquid soluble in diesel fuel but insoluble in water. One gallon of Green contained 8.16 pounds active ingredient of 2,4,5-T.
Where were these herbicides used?
US veterans groups have compiled lists of areas where they believe the US and allied military forces used chemical herbicides and defoliants. Some of the information has come from the US Department of Defense and some of it from the veterans’ own research.
Areas confirmed by the US Department of Defence, in which defoliants were used (in addition to Vietnam): The Korean demilitarized zone in 1968 and 1969 (extensive spraying). Fort Drum, NY in 1959 (testing).
The Period From May 1977 to December 2004: Operation PACER HO and Site Monitoring and Reclamation of the Storage Sites at NCBC and Johnston Island
After reviewing the technical and scientific data obtained from the studies of the various options for the disposition of AO, and weighing of the costs in both economic and environmental terms, the Department of Defense made the decision to destroy all of the remaining stocks of AO by at-sea incineration. The operation to dispose of the “surplus” AO at the Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, and Johnston Island, Central Pacific Ocean was named Operation PACER HO. The Air Force Logistics Command used the term “PACER” to describe the operational movement of materiel. The “HO” referred to “AO”. Leaflets 31 and 32 describe Operation PACER HO for both the inventories at the NCBC and at Johnston Island. The importance of documenting this military operation is because hundreds of Active Duty military personnel were involved in the activity. With the completion of the removal of the drums of AO at the NCBC and Johnston Island, the responsibility for monitoring the residues and environmental impacts of those toxic residues was done by Active Duty military. In February 1989 and December 2004, final corrective measures at the NCBC and Johnston Island, respectively, were completed under the Department of Defense Environmental Restoration Program.
AGENT ORANGE IN THE NEWS:
