Agent Green

Agent Green is a herbicide and defoliant chemical, one of the "rainbow herbicides" that is known for its use by the United States military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It is a mixture of two equal parts of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D.

Composition[edit | edit source]

Agent Green is composed of two phenoxy herbicides: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). These two chemicals are combined in equal parts to form Agent Green. The 2,4,5-T used in Agent Green was contaminated with 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), an extremely toxic dioxin compound.

Use in Vietnam War[edit | edit source]

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military used Agent Green as part of its chemical warfare strategy, Operation Ranch Hand. The goal was to defoliate forested and rural land, depriving guerrillas of cover; another goal was to induce forced draft urbanization, destroying the ability of peasants to support themselves in the countryside, and forcing them to flee to the U.S. dominated cities, thus depriving the guerrillas of their rural support base and food supply.

Health Effects[edit | edit source]

Exposure to Agent Green, and especially its dioxin contaminant, has been linked to a wide range of health problems, including cancer, neurological disorders, and birth defects among the children of exposed individuals. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies TCDD as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it is definitely carcinogenic to humans.