Agent Orange:
Agent Orange, a defoliant containing dioxin, was an herbicide that was widely used by the United States during the Vietnam War. It was used intensely throughout the war in order to strip the thick jungle canopy that helped conceal the Communist forces. This herbicide is often stated to cause most of the health problems during the war.
Agent Orange contains mixtures of plant hormone that helps destroy the plants by altering their normal metabolism. Agent Orange was used the heaviest during the years 1967 to 1969. The herbicide was mainly used to destroy the vast forests of South Vietnam and was distributed mainly through defoliation flights.
After two to three weeks of administering the chemical, the flowers and fruits begin to lose their foliage. Most trees died but almost all of the remaining ones were permanently damaged. And since it was a tropical area, soil nutrient decreased rapidly and soil erosion was accelerated.
After Congress had received numerous complaints from veterans that began to experience health problems from exposure to Agent Orange, Congress asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to perform an in-depth study.
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On July 28, 1993, the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences issued a press release regarding their research. "Over the years, extreme views have evolved on the issue," said Harold Fallon, IOM committee chair and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. "On one extreme is the view that Agent Orange has not led to health problems. Our committee has determined through an extensive review of the scientific literature that indeed, there does appear to be a link between exposure to herbicides and certain diseases."
The committee's evidence that they reviewed came from studies of people who were exposed to the herbicide as a result of their jobs or industrial accidents. However, these exposures were at high levels and for a long period of time. The health risks of Vietnam veterans were not as clear-cut, since the level of exposure had a wide range. Committee vice chair David Tollerud, director of occupational and environmental medicine, stated, "We simply do not know the degree of risk for Vietnam veterans, we do feel, however, that enough information exists to allow studies to be done that would lead to a better understanding of the risk that veterans face for contracting diseases related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam."
The committee examined more than 230 epidemiological studies in detail on a range of health problems and their potential association with herbicides. It found sufficient evidence of a statistical association between exposure to herbicides and soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, chloracne and PCT. This category of sufficient evidence was the most convincing connection that the committee made between health problems and exposure to Agent Orange.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs currently compensates Vietnam veterans for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and chloracne.
The association between Agent Orange and other adverse health effects the committee suspected fell into three remaining categories; Limited or Suggestive Evidence, Inadequate Evidence, and No Association.
The following is a summary of findings that Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences released:
Photos Courtesy of Archive Photos
