Toxic byproducts of Agent Orange continue to pollute Vietnam environment, study says

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL, CONSUMER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

During the Vietnam War, American aircraft sprayed more than 20 million gallons of herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated oranges, in the country's rainforests, wetlands and farmlands. Orange agents destroyed thick jungle vegetation, obscured the Viet Cong warriors and destroyed part of the country's food crops, but mainly dioxin pollutants have harmed many Vietnamese and American military personnel. A new article from the University of Illinois and Iowa State University documents the environmental heritage of Orange Orange in Vietnam, including hotspots where dioxin continues to enter the food supply.