Agent Orange:
Last Chapter of the Vietnam War
Photo: USAF – U.S. Air Force photo 020926-O-9999G-001 from the USAF website
Presentation Title: https://retroreport.org/video/agent-orange-last-chapter-of-the-vietnam-war/
1. Vietnam War
After the 1st Vietnam War (1858 – 1954)
North Vietnam:
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Supported by Soviet Union and China
DEMILITARIZED ZONE
South Vietnam:
Republic of Vietnam
Supported by USA 2
1. Vietnam War
The 2nd Vietnam War (1955 – 1975)
1. Casualty
- Vietnam: 3.5 million dead, a million
wounded
- US: 60 000 dead, 300 000 wounded
- South Korea: 5 000 dead
- China: 1000 dead …
2. Cost - the 2rd costly war
- US: $168 billion (2015 $1000 billion)
- Social countries: $7 billion (2015
$40 billion)
3. 7 662 000 tons of explosives
(World War II: 2 150 000 tons)
2 500 US aircrafts lost
“Bomb North Vietnam back into the Stone Age”
1965, C. M. LeMay, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force 3
2. Chemical Weapon by US
North Vietnam
• Herbicide and defoliant chemicals
Jungle • To destroy dense tropical forest and
cover for
move, food crops
hiding • 75 million liters sprayed over South
and
attack Vietnam
• Named upon color of container label
(pink, green, purple, white, orange,
purple, blue)
South Vietnam • Agent Orange used the most (65 %)
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3. Agent Orange
• A mixture of 2 herbicides in an ester form
2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T)
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
• A possible agent causing cancer to humans
• Containing traces of TCDD compound
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4. Dioxin TCDD
Dioxins stand for polychlorinated dibenzodioxins
(PCDD) produced in Cl-containing syntheses,
heating PVC, chlorine bleaching of paper
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) –
an unwanted by-product of Agent Orange production
(13 ppm) – has the highest toxicity of its series
2,4,5-T
TCDD
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4. Dioxin TCDD
370 kg of TCDD
10 years
South Vietnam
20 million people 85 000 pg/kg.day
Daily intake limit: 2 pg/kg (1 pg =10-12 g)
TCDD – the most dangerous and stable dioxin
Long-term exposure through food
Carcinogen for humans (Group 1): lymph, leukemia, lung, liver, colon cancers …
Reproductive, mental and developmental problems
Damage in the immune system, hormones disorder, diabetes
DNA changes → genetic congenital deceases/malformations for next generations
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4. Dioxin TCDD
• 4 million Vietnameses exposed to Agent Orange
500 000 people died and disabled
500 000 children born with birth defects
• 40 000 US veterans exposed with cancer, and many
serious disorders. Only 6700 victims compensated
after claiming.
• Agent Orange killed 10 times more people than all
other chemical weapons
The most deadly chemical weapon !!! 8
Thank you for your attention…
… and hope peace in the world ☺
References
http://tyglobalist.org/in-the-magazine/features/the-enduring-legacy-of-agent-orange-in-vietnam/
https://acesflyinghigh.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/remnants-of-the-vietnam-war-wrecks-
captured-aircraft/
http://tintuc.vn/hinh-anh-kho-quen-trong-chien-tranh-viet-nam-40968
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK298849/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK195087/
http://apermanentmark.com/about-agent-orange/
http://www.reds.vn/index.php/khoanh-khac-lich-su/536-50-buc-anh-chien-tranh-vn-3
http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnadw139.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_Demilitarized_Zone
https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War/The-United-States-enters-the-war
https://www.retroreport.org/video/agent-orange-last-chapter-of-the-vietnam-war/
http://lighterthanorange.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic_acid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioxins_and_dioxin-like_compounds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic_acid
Target LimitWHO In Vietnam (2008)
Soil (ppt TEQ) 1000 (normally < 12) Up to 350 000
Blood (ppt) 0.07 Up to 1000
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