Agent Orange

12 Pages 2942 Words

aboratory tests on animals, TCDD has caused a wide variety of diseases, many of them fatal. TCDD is not found in nature, but rather is a man-made and is always an unwanted byproduct of the chemical process of manufacturing of certain herbicides, bactericides, wood preservatives, and other products. It is believed by many scientists to be the most toxic of all synthetic chemicals.
It was first identified as a contaminant in 1957, but not recognized as a major public hazard until the mid 1970’s. The Agent Orange used in Vietnam was later found to be extremely contaminated with TCDD. The Agent Orange in Vietnam was contaminated in amounts from 0.05 to almost 50 parts per million, with the most common contamination being 2 parts per million (ppm). This contamination resulted in an estimated 368 pounds of dioxin sprayed over Vietnam in a six-year period. The results of this large amount of dioxin being dropped on Vietnam are everlasting, and the people who encountered extreme contact with the chemical will always have shocking reminders of what they experienced in Vietnam. The term "Agent Orange" was at the time merely one of several used to identify various herbicides used in Vietnam. Others included Agents White, Blue, Purple, Pink and Green. Agent Orange was used in by far the largest quantities in Vietnam.
Agricultural research in the quest for synthetic herbicides has been on going since the 1930's. Classified military research on herbicides took place throughout World War II, primarily at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. It was not until the 1950's; however, that effective herbicides began to be developed (effective in the sense that they would destroy a variety of types of plants). The first tests of what was to become Agent Orange took place at Camp Drum, New York in 1959. The first operational field tests in Vietnam took place in 1961. Other testing programs were also conducted at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Camp Drum in New York, ...