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About Agent Orange
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"The deadliest toxin created by man."
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Updated: 27 Aug 2021
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Agent What?
Orange -
White - Blue -
Purple - Pink
- Green
Defoliation was
put into use in the 1950s by the British during the Malayan
Emergency. It was called "Operation Trail Dust". This inspired
"Operation Ranch Hand" during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange was
the main defoliant used but it is also the generic name that
includes agents; White, Blue, Purple, Pink and Green. The colors
represented the identifying ring around the 55 gallon drums to
identify the content. They are also referred to as the Rainbow
Herbicides.
The Air Force C-123 was used about ninety-five percent of the
time for these missions. Hand sprayers, trucks, boats and
helicopters were used for the. About 5.5 million acres of forest
and crops were destroyed or heavily damaged in its ten years of
use.
It was known prior to 1962 that Agents Orange Purple Pink and
Green were contaminated with tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), an
extremely toxic and by-product. Dioxin levels varied greatly,
with Agents, Green, Pink, and Purple being on top of the list.
Agent Orange:
Agent Orange was used in Vietnam between the years 1961 and 1971
in "Operation Ranch Hand." It contained equal parts of the
herbicides, 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D, that included dioxin. About 7.6
million acres were defoliated with it. The chemical has caused
major health problems for many individuals exposed to it.
Leukemia, Hodgkin's, lymphoma, numerous birth defects in
offspring, various cancers, diabetes, and heart disease are just
a few.
Agent White:
Agent White is a 4:1 mixture of 2,4-D and picloram. It did not
contain dioxin, the contaminant in some of the herbicide
mixtures. About 5.4 million gallons of this was used in Vietnam
between 1966 and 1971. Agent White was used mostly when Agent
Orange was not available. It was a product of the Dow Chemical
Company.
Agent Blue:
Agent Blue is the mixture of sodium cacodylate and cacodylic
acid. It was used in the control of narrow leafed vegetation in
Vietnam. It was very effective in controlling grassland, rice
paddies, bamboo and banana plantations. This eliminated food and
hiding places for the Vietcong. About 19.6 million gallons of
Agent Blue were used between 1962 and 1971 in Vietnam.
Agent Purple:
Agent Purple is about the same as Agent Orange, both containing
2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. The difference was in the form of 2,4,5-T.
The 2,4,5-T in Agent Orange was as the n-butyl ester. The
2,4,5-T in Agent Purple was a mixture of 60% n-butyl and 40%
isobutyl. About a half million gallons were sprayed in Vietnam
between 1962 and 1965.
Agent Pink:
Agent Pink was one another of the rainbow herbicides used in
Vietnam prior to 1964. Its active ingredient was
2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). Like the other
early Agents, it had a high level of dioxin (65.5 ppm). About
13,300 gallons was used in Vietnam, with another 109,000 gallons
ordered.
Agent Green
Agent Green may have been the "Agent on Steroids". The active
ingredient was 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). It
had a dioxin content many times higher than Agent Orange. About
20,000 gallons of this was used in "testing stages" in Vietnam
between 1962 and 1964.
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