Dioxin is one of the most dangerous toxins known to man, causing long-term health problems, including cancer, birth defects, and death.
Operation Ranch Hand was a U.S. Military operation during part of the Vietnam War, lasting from 1962 until 1971.
It involved spraying an estimated 19 million US gallons of defoliants over rural areas of South Vietnam in an attempt to deprive the Viet Cong of vegetation cover and food. The defoliant used in the largest quantity was Agent Orange, a mixture of herbicides now known to have been contaminated with dioxin. In 2005, the New Zealand government confirmed that it supplied Agent Orange chemicals to the United States military during the conflict. Since the early 1960s, and up until 1987, it manufactured the 2,4,5T herbicide at a plant in New Plymouth which was then shipped to U.S. military bases in South East Asia. Corporations like Dow and Monsanto were given the task of developing herbicides for this purpose: Agent Pink, Agent Green, Agent Purple, Agent Blue, Agent White, and Agent Orange. About 12 million gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed over Southeast Asia during the American commitment. A prime area of Ranch Hand operations was in the Mekong Delta, where the U.S. Navy patrol boats were vulnerable to attack from the undergrowth at the water's edge.
Agent Orange was applied by airplanes, helicopters, trucks and backpack sprayers.
It was also unwittingly sprayed out of the exhausts of trucks, jeeps and gasoline generators.
Reported Agent Orange symptoms and effects
1. Gastrointestinal:
loss of appetite (anorexia)
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
constipation
yellowing of eyes, skin, and urine (Jaundice)
liver inflammation (Hepatitis)
vomiting blood (Hematemesis)
abdominal pain
gastric hyperplasia
gastric ulcers
3. Neurological:
tingling
numbness
dizziness
headaches
twitching, fidgeting, etc. (Automatic dyscontrol)
Suspension of breath (sleep apnea)
incoordination
unnaturally
drowsy (Hypersomnolence)
loss of sensation in extremities
4. Psychiatric:
violent
irritable
angry
severe depression
suicide
frenzied (Manic)
tremulous
memory loss
loss of concentration
severe personality changes
5. Metabolic:
fatigue
rapid weight loss
spontaneous fever
chills
7. Skin:
chloracne
rash
increased sensitivity (heat)
increased sensitivity (sun)
altered skin color
loss of hair
brittle nails
8. Cancer:
tumors
liver
lung
testicular
ear duct
9. Family:
miscarriages child's deaths birth defects
a. cleft palates
b. open eye
c. kidney abnormalities
d. enlarged liver
e. enlarged head
f. club foot
g. intestinal hemmorage
h. missing or abnormal fingers, toes
i. missing or abnormal reproductive organs
j. missing, abnormal, or displaced body parts
10. Endocrine:
enlarged male mammary glands (Gynecomastia)
excessive milk flow from nipples (Galactorrhea)
decreased sexual drive
E.D.
11. Visual:
blurring
burning
12. Hearing Loss
13. Respiratory:
difficulty or painful breath (Dyspenea)
shortness of breath
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has turned down American and Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange who wanted to pursue lawsuits against companies that made the toxic chemical defoliant used in the Vietnam War.
The justices offer no comment on their action Monday, rejecting appeals in three separate cases, in favor of Dow Chemical, Monsanto and other companies that made Agent Orange and other herbicides used by the military in Vietnam.
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- The United States government has doubled its funding for dealing with the environmental and health consequences of its wartime use in Vietnam of the toxic herbicide Agent Orange, the embassy said Friday.
President Barack Obama recently signed a bill increasing the funding from $3 million to $6 million, embassy officials said. Most of the money is being used in Danang, where U.S. troops used to mix and store Agent Orange at an Air Force base before loading it onto planes.
Read
