Rapid Fire
Agent Orange
- 02 May 2025
- 2 min read
30th April 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War's end (1954–75). However, millions of Vietnamese still suffer the lasting effects of Agent Orange, a toxic chemical used by the US during the war.
- Agent Orange: A Blend of herbicides used to defoliate trees and shrubs, depriving enemy troops of cover.
- It was composed of two herbicides (2,4-D and 2,4,5-T)—mixed with the highly toxic contaminant dioxin.
- Dioxin has a half-life of up to 20 years in the human body and can persist in soil and water for up to 100 years, causing long-term contamination.
- In radioactivity, half-life is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay.
- Impacts:
- Health issues– birth defects, cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders.
- Areas sprayed with the chemical were unfit for agriculture for years, severely damaging wildlife, soil quality, and disrupting livelihoods, with long-lasting impacts on ecosystems.
- Vietnam War: It was a conflict between communist North Vietnam (Saigon), led by Ho Chi Minh, and South Vietnam’s government, supported by the US.
- It was part of the broader Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, with North Vietnam backed by communist allies (Soviet Union and China).
| Read More: Cold War |
