Did Dow Chemical make Agent Orange?

Dow Chemical Company was a military contractor during the Vietnam War and the primary producer of Agent Orange – a defoliant used to clear vegetation. Agent Orange has been linked to a number of serious medical conditions in war veterans and Vietnamese civilians.

What was Agent Orange sprayed with?

Herbicides
poison: Herbicides During the Vietnam War, Agent Orange, a mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, was used as a defoliant.

What was Agent Orange used for in 1962?

About Agent Orange: Agent Orange was one of a class of color-coded herbicides that U.S. forces sprayed over the rural landscape in Vietnam from 1961 to 1971 to defoliate trees and shrubs and kill food crops that were providing cover and food to opposition forces.

What was Agent Orange used for in the Vietnam War?

Agent Orange was a tactical herbicide the U.S. military used to clear leaves and vegetation for military operations mainly during the Vietnam War. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange may have certain related illnesses.

Why was Agent Orange a bad choice for the US to use?

It is universally known to be a carcinogen (a cancer-causing agent). Short-term exposure to dioxin can cause darkening of the skin, liver problems and a severe acne-like skin disease called chloracne.

What are the lingering effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam today?

It took two generations and a lot of heartache among the Vietnam veteran community, but the VA’s “presumptive list” of diseases that are caused by exposure to Agent Orange now includes everything from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma to Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease.

What is the average life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran?

For US Vietnam Veterans it’s about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets.

When did Dow Chemical start making Agent Orange?

On 3 April 1967, The US military Business and Defence Services Administration (BDSA), who could exercise the 1950 Defence Production Act and compel production of war material, sent a directive to the Dow Chemical Co. (Dow).

When was Agent Orange phased out in the US?

It was developed in the late 1940s and was widely used in the agricultural industry until being phased out, starting in the late 1970s due to toxicity concerns. Agent Orange, a defoliant used by the British in the Malayan Emergency and the U.S. in the Vietnam War, was equal parts 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid).

What kind of chemicals were used to make Agent Orange?

According to the informant, “Agent Orange was made from two chemicals”. 2,4-D and 2,4,5,T. When they’re apart, they are herbicides. Mixed together, they become Agent Orange.” This statement identifies a lack of knowledge of Agent Orange.

Welcome to Four Corners. The Vietnam War generation will remember Agent Orange, a chemical cocktail that became notorious as a defoliant, used in aerial bombardments against the Vietcong. Its legacy of death and deformity is well documented. It was made up of the chemicals 245T and 24D.

When did Dow Chemical stop making Agent Orange?

During the early 1980s Dow led a campaign to reverse a ban on the production of an herbicide called 2,4,5-T—an ingredient in Agent Orange. Remaining stocks of the defoliant, which had been produced by Dow since 1948, continued to be used after the war to spray rice fields and range lands in the United States.

What did Dow Chemical do to the Vietnam Veterans?

Dow Chemical. The use of Agent Orange also had repercussions back in the United States. The company also found itself the target of thousands of lawsuits filed by Vietnam veterans who charged that the dioxin in Agent Orange had caused liver damage, nervous disorders, birth defects, and other health problems.

How many gallons of Agent Orange were used in Vietnam?

They were not commercial grade herbicides purchased from chemical companies and sent to Vietnam. More than 19 million gallons of various “rainbow” herbicide combinations were sprayed, but Agent Orange was the combination the U.S. military used most often.

According to the informant, “Agent Orange was made from two chemicals”. 2,4-D and 2,4,5,T. When they’re apart, they are herbicides. Mixed together, they become Agent Orange.” This statement identifies a lack of knowledge of Agent Orange.