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The article presents information on the U.S. herbicide program which was implemented during the Vietnam War. It is stated that the program aroused several controversies over the usage of herbicides in military operations. The health hazards caused due to herbicides, specially the effect of Agent Orange on the U.S. veterans of Vietnam was the matter of concern. It is reported that recently the U.S. Air Force declassified few pages of the book "Operation Ranch Hand: The Air Force and Herbicides in Southeast Asia 1961-71," written by Major William A. Buckingham.

The article discusses the bad effects of dioxin in the health of people exposed to it. Dioxin is used in the production of Agent Orange which was used by the U.S. forces in the program of defoliation and crop destruction in areas of major Viet Cong activity, during the war in South Vietnam. Some of the symptoms of dioxin poisoning are hands and feet numbness, depression, irritation, and difficulty in concentrating or remembering things. Dioxin is also believed to cause cancer, and deformities among the children of exposed men.

The article presents a discussion of the impact of war on the environment. Some wars in the past have shown just how damaging modern war is to the environment. The incident covering the use of herbicides and defoliants in Vietnam was the first occurrence that the biosphere had been systematically assailed for military purposes. A proposal prohibiting the military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques has been submitted by the United States and the Soviet Union to the Committee on Disarmament (CCD) in year 1975.

Exposure to Agent Orange (AO) has been associated with the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We performed a retrospective study of 2052 Vietnam veterans identified in the National VA Tumor Registry to assess the impact of AO exposure on CLL prognosis, treatment and survival. Prognostic factors did not differ based on exposure. Veterans exposed to AO were diagnosed younger (63.2 vs. 70.5 years, p < .0001) and had longer overall survival (median not reached vs. 91 months, p < .001). This prolonged survival was in the subgroups of patients aged 60-69 years (p< .0001) and those with 11q deletion (p < .0001). Those exposed to AO were more likely to be treated with fludarabine, chlorambucil and rituximab (38 vs. 21%, p < .001) and bendamustine plus rituximab (25 vs. 18%, p = 0.039) as first line therapy. Exposure to AO was not associated with either poor prognostic factors or shortened overall survival in our large veteran population with CLL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Hawaii, glyphosate-based herbicides frequently sprayed near shorelines may be affecting non-target marine species. Glyphosate inhibits aromatic amino acid biosynthesis (shikimate pathway), and is toxic to beneficial gut bacteria in cattle and chickens. Effects of glyphosate on gut bacteria in marine herbivorous turtles were assessed in vitro . When cultures of mixed bacterial communities from gastrointestinal tracts of freshly euthanized green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ), were exposed for 24 h to six glyphosate concentrations (plus deionized water control), bacterial density was significantly lower at glyphosate concentrations ≥ 2.2 × 10 − 4 g L − 1 (absorbance measured at 600 nm wavelength). Using a modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay, the growth of four bacterial isolates ( Pantoea , Proteus , Shigella , and Staphylococcus ) was significantly inhibited by glyphosate concentrations ≥ 1.76 × 10 − 3 g L − 1 . Reduced growth or lower survival of gut bacteria in green turtles exposed to glyphosate could have adverse effects on turtle digestion and overall health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the early years of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, the Departments of State and Defense battled over the decision to use chemical herbicides to defoliate the landscape and destroy enemy access crops. While the Pentagon won the initial battle, allowing herbicidal warfare to proceed, State’s concerns about program ultimately proved prophetic as the chemical war waged by the United States in Southeast Asia further alienated the Vietnamese villagers the program was ostensibly designed to protect. This essay moves beyond previous studies of Operation Ranch Hand by exploring the politics of the herbicidal warfare, and crop destruction in particular, from Washington D.C. to MACV to Vietnamese villages. Drawing on previously unexplored archival sources, this essay explores contemporary reactions to the herbicide program and shows how the chemical war embodied the larger contradictions of the American war in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

By exploring tactical and strategic uses of chemical agents beyond Agent Orange and the other 'Rainbow Herbicides' used as part of Operation Ranch Hand during the Vietnam War, this essay seeks to fill a gap in our under- standing of the chemical war waged by the United States in South-east Asia, and to make a contribution to the growing body of literature devoted to the intersections of military and environmental history. Taking seriously the roles played by both human and non-human actors, it explores how the White House and Pentagon continually attempted, unsuccessfully, to impose more stringent forms of control over southern Vietnam. Herbicidal warfare and the use of forest fire as a military weapon were simply two more failed attempts among many to impose control on a nation, a people, and a landscape - indeed, on nature itself - all of which refused to accept the dictates of American power just as stubbornly as American policymakers refused to accept the limitations of that power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Exposure Opportunity Index (EOI) is a proximity-based model developed to estimate relative exposure of ground troops in Vietnam to aerially applied herbicides. We conducted a detailed quantitative evaluation of the EOI model by using actual herbicide spray missions isolated in time and space. EOI scores were calculated for each of 36 hypothetical receptor location points associated with each spray mission for 30 herbicide missions for two time periods – day of herbicide application and day 2–3 post-application. Our analysis found an enormous range of EOI predictions with 500–1000-fold differences across missions directly under the flight path. This quantitative examination of the EOI suggests that extensive testing of the model’s code is warranted. Researchers undertaking development of a proximity-based exposure model for epidemiologic studies of either Vietnam veterans or the Vietnamese population should conduct a thorough and realistic analysis of how precise and accurate the model results are likely to be and then assess whether the model results provide a useful basis for their planned epidemiologic studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The modem science created enormously powerful and destructive military technologies and weapons that had resulted in massive death and devastation especially from twentieth century. The weapons of mass destruction had already inflicted and threaten to inflict more damage to human rights in all countries and the marginalized communities are intimidated more by these military technologies. Both peace time and war time military activities are dysfunctional to the environment. Weapon technologies, weapons, military personal and machinery movement, extensive use of animals for practice purposes as targets, poisoning of enemy water and other natural resources etc are rampant all over the world gravely endangering the environment and people's rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors studied immune response and exposure to 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin) among veterans of Operation Ranch Hand, the US Air Force unit responsible for the aerial spraying of herbicides in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971. A comparison group of Air Force veterans who served in Southeast Asia but were not involved in spraying herbicides was included. The authors studied delayed-type hypersensitivity skin test responses to Candida albicans, mumps, Trichophyton, and a bacterial antigen made from lysed Staphylococcus aureus. Lymphocyte measurements included total lymphocyte counts; T-cell (CD3, CD4, CD5, and CD8), B-cell (CD20), and NK-cell (CD16 and CD56) subsets; and expression of the activation antigen CD25 on CD3 T cells. The authors quantitated the serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (lg)A, IgG, and IgM; examined sera for the presence of monoclonal immunoglobulins (M proteins); and looked for a broad range of autoantibodies (rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody, smooth muscle autoantibody, mitochondrial autoantibody, parietal cell autoantibody, and thyroid microsomal autoantibodies). They measured the level of dioxin in 1987 or 1992, extrapolated the result to the time of service in Vietnam, and assigned each veteran to one of four exposure categories: Comparison and three Ranch Hand groups (Background, Low, or High). Overall, the authors found no evidence of a consistent relation between dioxin exposure category and immune system alteration. Am J Epidemiol 1999; 149:1038–46. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: It has been demonstrated that Agent Orange exposure increases the risk of developing several soft tissue malignancies. Federally funded studies, now nearly a decade old, indicated that there was only a weak association between exposure and the subsequent development of prostate cancer. Because Vietnam War veterans are now entering their 60s, the authors reexamined this association by measuring the relative risk of prostate cancer among a cohort of men who were stratified as either exposed or unexposed to Agent Orange between the years 1962 and 1971 and who were followed during the interval between 1998 and 2006. Methods: All Vietnam War era veterans who receive their care in the Northern California Veteran Affairs Health System were stratified as either exposed (n=6214) or unexposed (n=6930) to Agent Orange. Strata-specific incidence rates of prostate cancer (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code 185.0) were calculated. Differences in patient and disease characteristics (age, race, smoking history, family history, body mass index, finasteride exposure, prebiopsy prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, clinical and pathologic stage, and Gleason score) were assessed with chi-square tests, t tests, a Cox proportional hazards model, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Twice as many exposed men were identified with prostate cancer (239 vs 124 unexposed men, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 2.19; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.75-2.75). This increased risk also was observed in a Cox proportional hazards model from the time of exposure to diagnosis (hazards ratio [HR], 2.87; 95% CI, 2.31-3.57). The mean time from exposure to diagnosis was 407 months. Agent Orange-exposed men were diagnosed at a younger age (59.7 years; 95% CI, 58.9-60.5 years) compared with unexposed men (62.2 years; 95% CI, 60.8-63.6 years), had a 2-fold increase in the proportion of Gleason scores 8 through 10 (21.8%; 95% CI, 16.5%-27%) compared with unexposed men (10.5%; 95% CI, 5%-15.9%), and were more likely to have metastatic disease at presentation than men who were not exposed (13.4%; 95% CI, 9%-17.7%) than unexposed men (4%; 95% CI, 0.5%-7.5%). In univariate analysis, distribution by race, smoking history, body mass index, finasteride exposure, clinical stage, and mean prebiopsy PSA were not statistically different. In a multivariate logistic regression model, Agent Orange was the most important predictor not only of developing prostate cancer but also of high-grade and metastatic disease on presentation. Conclusions: Individuals who were exposed to Agent Orange had an increased incidence of prostate cancer; developed the disease at a younger age, and had a more aggressive variant than their unexposed counterparts. Consideration should be made to classify this group of individuals as 'high risk,' just like men of African-American heritage and men with a family history of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the pronouncement of the International Conference for Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims in Hanoi, Vietnam held in March 2006, by Dang Vu Hiep, President of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange, which asserts that during the Vietnam War, the U.S. military used toxic dioxin-based herbicides provided by American chemical companies which caused large-scale destruction of the environment and posed long-term public health problems to people exposed to the chemicals and their children.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience as a translator in Vietnam for French physician Bernard Doray, former Vice-President of the French Association for the Support of Children Affected by Agent Orange, from 2002 until 2005.

The article focuses on Professor Hoang Dinh Cau, surgeon, medical researcher, and former chairman of Vietnam's 10-80 Committee, or the "Commission for Mitigation of the Consequences on Human Health of the Chemicals Used During the War," which was established to investigate the effects to public health by the use of chemicals such as Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The Committee oversaw medical experiments to mitigate the effects of dioxin-poisoning using both modern and traditional medicine, held international scientific conferences on the link between chemical warfare and disease in Vietnam, and encouraged humanitarian assistance for war victims from the German International Peace Village Organization Oberhausen and other international organizations.

The article details efforts by Vietnamese victims of dioxin poisoning to receive war damage compensation from the U.S. as well as U.S. chemical companies for health problems occurring as a result of wartime use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange has represented victims in class action suits in both the U.S. and Vietnam. Details of specific medical cases representative of some of the health problems encountered as a result of exposure to dioxins are related, including physician Phan Thi Phi Phi who became sterile after being exposed to Agent Orange while serving as a war zone medical doctor.

The article discusses the chemical warfare used by U.S. armed forces and their allies during the Vietnam War between 1961 and 1975 in Vietnam. The author reports on twentieth century American military strategies regarding the use of herbicides and chemicals in war. Chemicals used by the U.S. included DDT, Malation, tear gases, and Agent Orange, especially during Operation Ranch Hand from 1962 to 1971. The chemicals were used to target food-producing areas, forested areas abutting strategic military areas, and communications routes.

From July 1965 until November 1971, New Zealand Defence Force Personnel fought in the Vietnam War. During this time more than 76,500,000 litres of phenoxylic herbicides were sprayed over parts of Southern Vietnam and Laos, the most common being known as ‘Agent Orange’. The current study aimed to ascertain whether or not New Zealand Vietnam War veterans show evidence of genetic disturbance arising as a consequence of their now confirmed exposure to these defoliants. A sample group of 24 New Zealand Vietnam War veterans and 23 control volunteers were compared using an SCE (sister chromatid exchange) analysis. The results from the SCE study show a highly significant difference (P < 0.001) between the mean of the experimental group (11.05) and the mean of a matched control group (8.18). The experimental group also has an exceptionally high proportion of HFCs (cells with high SCE frequencies) above the 95th percentile compared to the controls (11.0 and 0.07%, respectively). We conclude that the New Zealand Vietnam War veterans studied here were exposed to a clastogenic substance(s) which continues to exert an observable genetic effect today, and suggest that this is attributable to their service in Vietnam. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just as America and its allies have become embroiled in what some have called another Vietnam, questions to do with the injustice of that earlier conflict have begun to resurface in international forums. In January of 2004, some 29 years since the official end of the Vietnam War the first action on behalf of Vietnamese victims of the principal US military herbicide, Agent Orange, was filed in a New York district court. In March the following year all claims were dismissed. This article seeks to present a commentary of this extraordinary case in view of history and the broader themes of politics, international law, and its institutions as a handicap to accommodating individual victims of war. While identifying with this wider plight of victims the article serves as an update on developments in scientific research, bringing home the very serious threat of further contamination to the present day population in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the link between birth defects in Vietnamese children and the herbicide Agent Orange, which was sprayed by the U.S. military on crops in Vietnam during the Vietnam War in the 1960s-1970s. Vietnam claims that parental exposure at the time of spraying of the herbicide is resulting in children being born with defects. Meanwhile, scientists are planning to revive the health study of the U.S. veterans involved in Operation Ranch Hand, in which 95% of the herbicide was sprayed on Vietnam. The Vietnamese are claiming compensation for the injuries caused due to the herbicide, asking the U.S. to sue the companies that supplied the herbicide to the U.S. military. The U.S. on its part has agreed to clear the areas affected by the agent.

US Air Force veterans of Operation Ranch Hand sprayed herbicides contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971. Comparisons served in Southeast Asia (SEA) during the same time period but did not spray herbicides. Here we investigate a potential association between exposure to TCDD and prostate cancer. Data were available for 2516 veterans (1019 Ranch Hand and 1497 Comparison) who participated in at least one of six physical examinations starting in 1982 and had a measurement of serum TCDD. We assigned Ranch Hands to two exposure categories: Lower and Higher, based on their median 20-year cumulative TCDD level. In total, 81 Comparison and 59 Ranch Hand prostate cancers were identified between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 2003. We found no overall increase in the risk of prostate cancer in Ranch Hand veterans versus the Comparisons. There was a positive association in Ranch Hand veterans in the Higher TCDD category who served in SEA before 1969 (RR=2.27, 95% CI 1.11–4.66) when more contaminated herbicides were used, but the number of cases was small (n=15). A within-group comparison found that in Comparison veterans, time served in SEA was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (RR=2.18, 95% CI 1.27–3.76, >789 days versus ≤789 days). No increase in the risk of prostate cancer was observed within the Ranch Hand group in association with TCDD or time served in SEA. These analyses suggest that a longer service in SEA and exposures other than TCDD may have increased the risk of prostate cancer in Comparison veterans.Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (2006) 16, 184–190. doi:10.1038/sj.jea.7500448; published online 27 July 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1982, the Air Force Health Study has continued to assess the mortality for veterans of Operation Ranch Hand, the unit responsible for aerially spraying herbicides in Vietnam. The mortality for 1,262 Ranch Hand veterans to December 31, 1999 was contrasted with that for 19,078 comparison veterans. The relative risk (RR) for all-cause death was borderline significantly increased (RR, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.3; p = 0.06). The risk of death caused by cancer was not increased (RR = 1.0), but the risk of death caused by circulatory system diseases was significantly increased among en-listed ground crew workers (RR = 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2,4: p = 0.001), Results for Ranch Hand all-cause death differed from previous reports, with the RR now exceeding 1.0, The risk of death attributable to circulatory system diseases continues to be increased, especially for enlisted ground crew, a subgroup with relatively high skin exposure to herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper seeks to provide a socio-economic impact assessment for Vietnamese victims of the principal US military herbicide, Agent Orange, used during the Vietnam War in the period 1961–71. The study is based on a field survey of 30 affected and 30 unaffected households in Quang Tri province. With this assessment, the paper attempts to address the broader issues of compensation currently available to victims. The coverage and composition of current benefits are deemed inadequate as an effective redress. In view of this, revision of current compensation, the mobilization of an international donor fund and spurred non-governmental support is strongly recommended. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a photo essay depicting the harmful effects of human exposure to Agent Orange spraying in Vietnam.

We investigated the efficacy of Qi therapy as a non-pharmacological treatment for various symptoms presented by Korean combat veterans of the Vietnam War with Agent Orange Sequelae. Nine subjects volunteered to receive 30 minutes of Qi therapy, twice per day for 7 days. There was marked improvement in 89% of the patients with impaired physical activity, 86% of those with psychological disorder, 78% of those with heavy drug use, and 67% of those with fatigue, indigestion and high blood glucose levels. This data suggests that Qi therapy combined with conventional treatment has positive effects in reducing and managing the pain, psychosomatic disorders, and substance abuse in patients with Agent Orange Sequelae. We cannot completely discount the possible influence of the placebo effect, and more objective, clinical measures are needed to study the long-term effects of Qi therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses compensation programmes for victims of the principal U.S. Military herbicide, Agent Orange, used during the Vietnam War period 1961 to 1971. Whilst positive steps forward in the formal recognition and compensation of victims, both the Vietnamese and to a lesser extent, the American programme, are found to fall short in meeting the following principles of compensation. That is, in the form of monetary and non-monetary benefits to all affected persons at varying levels of disability on an ongoing basis over the life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Vietnam War ended in 1975, numerous studies have been conducted to determine if an association exists between Agent Orange exposure and certain disabling conditions, specifically cancer. Although a definite causal relationship has not yet been established, sufficient data associate Agent Orange with certain conditions. Because of their advancing age, similar to other baby boomers, Vietnam veterans are at a higher risk of developing malignancies. However, their exposure to Agent Orange also may increase their risk for cancer and other associated diseases. This article examines the latest findings of scientific research sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and discusses the importance of well-informed oncology nurses when providing care for patients with cancer exposed to Agent Orange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the threat of biological warfare and efforts to prevent it from happening. Geneva Protocol of 1925; Bacteriological and Toxin Weapon Convention of 1972; Potential weapons and targets; Countries that have agreed not to use such weapons; Unpredictability of pathogens.

The primary reason for concern about the adverse effects of exposure to Agent Orange is attributable to its toxic contaminant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) or dioxin. We studied adipose tissues from 36 Vietnam veterans, a similar group of 79 non-Vietnam veterans, and 80 civilians; the tissue specimens were selected from the 8,000 archived tissues collected from the non-institutionalized general population by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The geometric mean (+/- standard deviation) dioxin levels in adipose tissue for Vietnam veterans, non-Vietnam veterans, and civilian controls were 11.7 (+/- 1.7), 10.9 (+/- 1.7), and 12.4 (+/- 1.9) parts per trillion on a lipid weight basis, respectively. The mean levels for these groups were not significantly different from each other with or without adjustment for age of individuals, body mass index, and specimen collection year. In addition, none of the surrogate measures of Agent Orange exposure such as military branch, service within specific geographic region, military occupation, and troop location in relation to recorded Agent Orange spray was associated with the dioxin levels in adipose tissue of Vietnam veterans. Our results suggest that heavy exposure to Agent Orange or dioxin for most US troops was unlikely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses link between the exposure to herbicide Agent Orange and the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of Vietnam veterans. The number of psychiatric casualties in Vietnam on average was 12 per 1,000 troops per year, about the same as for Army personnel stationed in the continental United States during the same time and a figure much lower than for American troops during the Second World War and Korea. However, since 1975 about 700,000 Vietnam veterans have sought counseling or other help from the Veterans Administration for readjustment difficulties. Further, about 250,000 Vietnam veterans have requested physical examinations from the VA to access suspicions that exposure to the herbicide, Agent Orange, caused their health problems.

The article reports that the International Symposium on Herbicides and Defoliants in War was held on January 13-20, 1983 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. More than 160 scientists from 21 countries and delegates from 3 United Nations agencies took part in the symposium. Some 72 papers were presented on ecological and health aspects of the long-term effects of military herbicides used in the Vietnam War from 1961 through 1975 by the United States and the South Vietnamese armed services

The article discusses the use of the herbicide Agent Orange in Vietnam and the controversy raised by its use. The use of the herbicide Agent Orange in Vietnam has sparked controversy and heated debate that exposure to the herbicide has caused high rates of cancer among Vietnam veterans and the birth defects in their children. Nearly 220,000 Vietnam veterans have requested physical examinations from the Veterans' Administration (VA) to confirm suspicions that their health problems are caused by exposure to the herbicide. If all Agent Orange claims were worthy of payment, compensation could reach several billion dollars. Vietnam veterans organizations have accused the VA of negligence in investigating the claims. The controversy over Agent Orange also became a vehicle for organizing and securing other benefits for Vietnam veterans. When the VA reacted slowly and reluctantly, Vietnam veterans were angered by their inability to receive treatment for troubling and serious health problems.

The article presents an essay concerning the relation between the spraying of the herbicide Agent Orange in during the Vietnam War from 1962-1971 by the U.S. Air Force and heart disease. Topics include research by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) compensation for veterans who were exposed, and the effects of Agent Orange on chronic renal disease.

The article presents an open letter addressed to the International Conference on the Consequences of Agent Orange written by Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap. It discusses the long-term effects of dioxin poisoning on the environment and public health of Vietnam, the result of the use of Agent Orange by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The author calls for the government of the U.S. as well as the U.S. chemical companies that supplied toxic herbicides during the war to provide compensation for the damages caused by their actions.