Agent Orange: Environmental and Health Effects

Agent Orange: Environmental and Health Effects 

by Marisa de la Villa

Picture this: It’s 1962 [1]. Deep in the jungles of Vietnam, the United States military introduced a powerful weapon unlike any other. Rather than machine guns and tanks, the Americans brought in something completely new– a tactical herbicide was used for control of vegetation during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange swept through Vietnam like a tidal wave. It was used to destroy and reduce the value of crops, improve visibility, and eliminate any possible enemy cover in war [2].  Agent Orange did more than just clear out trees, though– this highly destructive chemical has left behind a toxic legacy that is still present today, provoking irreversible damage to the environment and severely hurting both civilians and the military. Scary, isn’t it? That’s only a small glimpse of the destruction brought about by the use of chemicals in the Vietnam War. 

 The U.S. had initially planned to weaken the enemy forces of the Viet Cong by destroying any sort of forest cover in North Vietnam and some parts of South Vietnam. So, enemy movements, ambush sites, and supply routes were exposed and more easily destroyed. Overall, it has been estimated that over 74 million liters of tactical herbicides were used in Vietnam during 1961-1971, 60% of which being Agent Orange (43 million liters) [3].  Yes, Agent Orange was highly effective in terms of the U.S.’ military mission, but, at what cost? 

 Agent Orange was sprayed at 20 times the recommended concentration, defoliating millions of acres of forest and farmland, much of which is still degraded and not suitable for farming today, as well as releasing dioxin, a highly toxic chemical [4]. Even in tiny amounts, this chemical can cause severe, long-lasting health and environmental issues. After being sprayed, the dioxin-laced droplets seeped deep into the soil, directly contaminating the lands for years. As a result, both Vietnamese citizens and U.S. soldiers were exposed to chronic health risks such as cancers, neurological diseases and birth defects, as well as impacting surrounding areas and test sites with irreversible environmental damages [5]. 

 American soldiers had no idea what they’d signed up for– initially, serving in the war was taken as a patriotic duty, especially within the context of fighting communism in the Cold War. However, as the war dragged on, and U.S. soldiers started experiencing the physical and psychological effects of it, people began to question their initial enthusiasm. This was especially true when soldiers returned with severe illnesses and newly developed health issues [6]. It wasn’t until 1984 that the first significant piece of legislation regarding Agent Orange was passed: The Veteran’s Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act [7]. This meant that veterans had to wait roughly a decade after being exposed to insane amounts of dioxin to receive compensation. However, the process of recognizing eligible diseases and providing compensation to those who need it continued for years after that. 

 The fact that dioxin is still present in the environment today, over 60 years after its first use, means that generations of people continue to suffer its effects. Agent Orange wasn’t an issue that was only present during the Vietnam War– its consequences still haunt us today. The loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, water contamination, and the destruction of mangroves, are all consequences of this excessive use of Agent Orange in Vietnam. However, this tactical herbicide did not solely affect Vietnam. The United States had conducted secret testing of this chemical in various different locations around the world, including Texas, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Laos, and Canada [8]. 

In 2018, Congress signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, allocating funding for dioxin cleanup and health support in Vietnam, sending $20 million to environmental remediation in dioxin-contaminated sites, and $10 million toward the health and disability programs in affected areas [9]. This commitment is a significant step toward addressing Agent Orange’s destructive impact, but transparency and accountability toward some of the remaining dioxin-contaminated test sites is still necessary in order to fully confront the herbicide's legacy [10]. 

Notes 

1. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, “History of the Controversy over the Use of Herbicides,” Veterans and Agent Orange: Health Effects of Herbicides Used in Vietnam., January 1, 1994, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236351/. 

2. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure, “Selected Chemicals Used during the Vietnam War,” Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure., January 1, 1970, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209597/. 

3. Ibid 

4. “What Is Agent Orange?,” The Aspen Institute, December 17, 2018, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/agent-orange-in-vietnam-program/what-is-agent-orange/. 

5. Veterans Health Administration US Department of Veterans Affairs, “Va.Gov: Veterans Affairs,” Protect your health, December 10, 2013, https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/. 

6. Ibid 

7. H.R.1961 - 98th Congress (1983-1984): Veterans’ Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act | congress.gov | Library of Congress, accessed November 4, 2024, https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/house-bill/1961. 

8. Veterans Health Administration US Department of Veterans Affairs, “Va.Gov: Veterans Affairs,” Protect your health, December 17, 2013, https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/tests-storage/outside-vietnam.asp. 

9. Michael F Martin, “U.S. Agent Orange/Dioxin Assistance to Vietnam,” Congress.gov, accessed November 4, 2024, https://crsreports.congress.gov/. 

10. “Addressing the Harmful Legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam,” United States Institute of Peace, January 27, 2022, https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/01/addressing-harmful-legacy-agent-orange-vietnam#:~:text=A%20greater%20emphasis%20has%20been,Orange%20hot%20spot%20in%20Vietnam. 

Works Cited 

“Addressing the Harmful Legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam.” United States Institute of Peace, January 27, 2022. 

https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/01/addressing-harmful-legacy-agent-orange-vietnam#:~:text=A%20greater%20emphasis%20has%20been,Orange%20hot%20spot%20in%20Vietnam. 

 H.R.1961 - 98th Congress (1983-1984): Veterans’ Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act | congress.gov | Library of Congress. Accessed October 21, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/house-bill/1961. 

 Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides. “History of the Controversy over the Use of Herbicides.” Veterans and Agent Orange: Health Effects of Herbicides Used in Vietnam., January 1, 1994. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236351/. 

 Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure. “Selected Chemicals Used during the Vietnam War.” Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure., January 1, 1970. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209597/. 

 Martin, Michael F. “U.S. Agent Orange/Dioxin Assistance to Vietnam.” Congress.gov. Accessed October 23, 2024. https://crsreports.congress.gov/. 

 US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. “Va.Gov: Veterans Affairs.” Protect your health, December 10, 2013.

 https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/. US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. “Va.Gov: Veterans Affairs.” Protect your health, December 17, 2013. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/tests-storage/outside-vietnam.asp. “What Is Agent Orange?” The Aspen Institute, December 17, 2018. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/agent-orange-in-vietnam-program/what-is-agent-orange/.

transcripción en español

Imagínate esto: Es el 1962. Entre las junglas de Vietnam, el ejército estadounidense introdujo un arma que no se igualaba a nada. En vez de utilizar armas como ametralladoras o tanques, los americanos se enfocaron en algo nuevo– un herbicida táctico fue utilizado para controlar la vegetación en la guerra de Vietnam. El Agente Naranja atacó Vietnam como un maremoto. Fue utilizado para destruir y reducir el valor de los cultivos, mejorar la visibilidad y eliminar cualquier posible cobertura enemiga en la guerra. El Agente Naranja hizo más que solo eliminar la cubierta de árboles– este químico ha dejado un legado extremadamente tóxico que aún sigue afectando a Vietnam hoy día, provocando daños irreversibles al medio ambiente y afectando directamente a civiles y a militares. Da miedo, ¿no? Eso es solo un fragmento de los daños causados por el uso de químicos en la guerra de Vietnam.

Inicialmente, los EE.UU. planeaban destruir los bosques de Vietnam del Norte y Sur para que sus enemigos no se pudiesen ocultar entre las hojas. Entonces, movimientos, zonas de ataque y rutas del suministro fueron mucho más fácil de encontrar y destruir. Se puede estimar que se habían usado mas de 74 millones de litros de químicos en Vietnam entre 1961 y 1971, 60% de ellos siendo de Agente Naranja (43 millones de litros). Sí, el Agente Naranja fue muy eficaz en términos de su misión, pero, ¿verdaderamente valió la pena?

El uso del Agente Naranja fue extremadamente peligroso– fue utilizado en una cantidad extrema, a un volumen de 20 veces más alto de lo recomendado por sus creadores, y asistió en defoliar millones de pies de tierras. Adicionalmente, el uso del Agente Naranja introdujo a la dioxina al medioambiente, un químico extremadamente peligroso. Aún en cantidades mínimas, este químico puede tener efectos desastrosos. Después de ser rociado, las gotitas del químico se mezclaban con la tierra, contaminando a Vietnam por años. Como resultado de todo esto, los militares americanos, al igual que ciudadanos vietnamitas, fueron directamente expuestos a problemas de salud, por ejemplo, cánceres, enfermedades neurológicas y defectos del nacimiento, al igual que impactos irreversibles en el medioambiente. 

Los soldados americanos no tenían ni idea en lo que se habían involucrado– inicialmente, era un alto honor servir en EE.UU., especialmente bajo el contexto de la batalla contra el comunismo en la Guerra Fría. Pero, mientras pasaba el tiempo, y los soldados americanos comenzaron a tener problemas físicos y psicológicos, mucha gente empezó a perder ese entusiasmo. Esto se iba notando más y más mientras los soldados iban regresando con distintos problemas. No fue hasta el 1984, diez años después, que se aprobó el “Veteran’s Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act,” cuyo propósito era ayudar a que los veteranos afectados pudieran recibir algún tipo de compensación. El proceso de reconocer las distintas enfermedades y poder ayudar a los necesitados continuó por años después. 

El hecho de que la dioxina siga presente en el medioambiente hoy día, más de 60 años después de su primer uso, significa que generaciones de gente siguen sufriendo los efectos del químico. El Agente Naranja no solo fue un problema existente en la Guerra de Vietnam– sus consecuencias siguen presentes al día de hoy. El uso excesivo del Agente Naranja en Vietnam ha resultado en la destrucción de manglares, la contaminación del agua, y que la calidad de la tierra baje sustancialmente. Es importante destacar que este químico no sólo afectó a Vietnam– los Estados Unidos habían usado distintos lugares del mundo como prueba para ver los efectos del químico. Estos incluyen a los estados de Texas y Mississippi, al igual que Puerto Rico, Laos y Canadá. 

En el 2018, el Congreso americano firmó el “Consolidated Appropriations Act,” que ayudó a distribuir dinero a para remedios en Vietnam, enviando $20 millones a lugares contaminados, y $10 millones a programas de salud en algunas áreas afectadas. Esto suele ser un paso hacia el reconocimiento global de los daños causados por el uso del Agente Naranja, pero todavía hace falta asumir las distintas responsabilidades que le pertenecen a los involucrados, especialmente en los lugares que sirvieron como lugares de prueba (test-sites), que todavía en estos momentos requieren ayuda para poder confrontar el legado del herbicida.