What chemicals were used in Vietnam War?

What chemicals were used in Vietnam War?

By far the most widely used herbicide was Agent Orange, followed by Agent White; other tactical herbicides that were used in Vietnam during the war include Agent Blue, Agent Purple, Agent Pink, and Agent Green.

What did they spray in Vietnam?

Agent Orange was a powerful herbicide used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. Agent Orange, which contained the deadly chemical dioxin, was the most commonly used herbicide.

What chemicals were in Agent Orange?

The two active ingredients in the Agent Orange herbicide combination were equal amounts of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), which contained traces of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).

What is Agent Orange and why is it so called?

Agent Orange refers to a specific blend of herbicides used during the Vietnam War. The name “Agent Orange” came from the identifying orange stripe around the 55-gallon drums in which the herbicide was stored.

What two chemical weapons did the United States use in Vietnam?

During the Vietnam War, between 1962 and 1971, the United States military sprayed nearly 20,000,000 U.S. gallons (76,000 m3) of various chemicals – the “rainbow herbicides” and defoliants – in Vietnam, eastern Laos, and parts of Cambodia as part of Operation Ranch Hand, reaching its peak from 1967 to 1969.

What responsibility does the U.S. have to Vietnam due to Agent Orange?

Our government has a moral and legal obligation, under international law, to compensate the people of Vietnam for the devastating impact of Agent Orange, and to assist in alleviating its effects.

What years was Agent Orange used in Vietnam?

From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. Air Force sprayed nearly 19 million gallons of herbicides in Vietnam, of which at least 11 million gallons was Agent Orange, in a military project called Operation Ranch Hand.

What are the lingering effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam today?

Unfortunately, Agent Orange exposure has led to long-term health effects in many Vietnam era veterans, including multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s Disease, and various types of cancer.

Is Vietnam still affected by Agent Orange?

Millions of Americans and Vietnamese are still affected, directly and indirectly, by the wartime U.S. spraying of Agent Orange and other herbicides over southern and central Vietnam. Agent Orange was sprayed at up to 20 times the concentration the manufacturers recommended for killing plants.

How is DDT being used in the world?

The only remaining legal use of DDT is to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes. A devastating disease, malaria kills more than 800,000 people every year, the majority of deaths among children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Indoor spraying with DDT is one of a number of tools being used to control malaria around the world.

When did the US Army start using DDT?

The delousing powder of choice was MYL, with pyrethrins as the active ingredient. Until DDT came along. In 1942, a team of USDA entomologists, led by one Walter E. Dove, were drafted into the project of preventing louse-borne typhus in troops.

When was DDT approved for indoor use in Africa?

In September 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared its support for the indoor use of DDT in African countries where malaria remains a major health problem, citing that benefits of the pesticide outweigh the health and environmental risks.

What was the most common herbicide used in the Vietnam War?

By far the most widely used herbicide was Agent Orange, followed by Agent White; other tactical herbicides that were Suggested Citation: “3 SELECTED CHEMICALS USED DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.” Institute of Medicine. 2011. Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13026.