The Devestating Effects of Agent Orange

Agent Orange which is also known as orange herbicide was used during the Vietnam War by the United States as an strategy to expose their enemies and deny them the access to food (Department of Veteran’s Affairs 2013). The use of agent orange brought a lot of devastating effects such as health risks and damage to the environment such as loss of biodiversity in the forests of Vietnam. The purpose of this essay is the health and environmental effects caused by the toxic component TCDD, which agent orange contains. This essay will discuss the toxicity of the chemical structure of Agent Orange and the intended consequences of its use. Finally, it will discuss the unintended consequences of its use and its long term effects.

Agent Orange is a mixture consisting of two phenoxy acids which are 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. However, an toxic dioxin known as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was found to have contaminated trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5,-T) (Hoenemeyer 2013). TCDD polychlorinated dioxin causes various health problems and can cause miscarriages during pregnancies. It form color is transparent to white at room temperature (National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services 2011). On Table 1 below it can be concluded that TCDD is is very volatile and has a very low solubility on water. It also has a very high melting point.

Table 1. Chemical and physical properties of TCDD.

Source: Public Health Service, 2011

TCDD is usually formed by burning compounds that contain chlorine with hydrocarbons. It is a toxic dioxin because it contains a chlorine atom in its 2,3,7 and 8 position in the molecule as the figure below shows (Dioxinspin 2007). The amount of contamination of TCDD depends on the pressure and temperature when the reaction was done. The chemical formula for TCDD is C12H4Cl4O2

Source: Campbell & Thacker, 2011

The figure below shows the problem that caused the creation of TCDD on Agent Orange which was an exceeding temperature for the reaction causing the 2,3,5 chlorophenol molecules start reacting with each other forming TCDD (Campbell & Thacker 2011).

Source: Campbell & Thacker, 2011

Orange Agent was intended to be used as an strategy to help win the Vietnam War. The use of Agent Orange was to refuse cover to the guerillas by destroying all the foliage areas and eliminate the communication between them. Also to destroy their supplies of crops. Another use of Agent orange was to make some areas inhabitable so that villagers will move out and the military can use it for strategies.