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Agent Orange - - Dioxin - - Health of Vietnam Veterans Children

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The Link between Agent Orange and Dioxin:

Agent Orange was one of the weed killing chemicals used by the U.S. in Vietnam. The chemical compounds considered as herbicide agents in Vietnam included 2,4-D; 2,4,5-T and its contaminant TCDD(Dioxin); cacodylic acid and picloram. . (Source: Vietnam Veterans of America Benefits News & Resources)
The Agent Orange sprayed in Vietnam was of a much higher concentration of Dioxin (6 to 25 times the manufacturers recommended rate) due to the lower cost and speed of manufacture required by the army. . (Source: U>S> Department of Veterans Affairs Report regarding the health effects and exposure to Agent Orange. Admiral E.R. Zumwalt 5 May 1990).
What Is Dioxin?
Dioxin is the common name used to refer to the chemical 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin or TCDD. Dioxin is one of the most toxic organic chemicals in our environment. Its toxicity is second only to radioactive waste. The United States of America (US) Environmental protection Authority (EPA) reported in September 1994, "Dioxin is a public health threat and there are no safe levels of the chemical".
How is Dioxin Formed?
Dioxin is formed as a byproduct of the manufacture, molding, or burning of organic chemicals (Agent Orange being one of these) and plastics that contains chlorine. (Source: National Institute of Environmental Sciences)
What are the Health Effects of Dioxin on humans?
Dioxin is a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical.
The long term effects of dioxin are seen in the reproductive system, the developing nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system. Once dioxin enters the body it attaches to cell receptors that are designed for regulatory hormones and enzymes which modifies the functioning and genetic mechanism of normal cell function. These health effects are exhibited when the amount of dioxin in the body reaches just a few parts per trillion.
For two decades dioxin has baffled toxicologists. They are used to seeing cancer-causing chemicals that predominantly cause cancer in one organ or another--like asbestos, which chiefly affects the lungs, or benzene, which chiefly affects the blood-forming cells, causing leukemia. But dioxin seems to cause cancer in many organs, raising the general level of cancer in a population without causing a huge increase in any one type of cancer. In addition, dioxin causes certain toxic effects in one species and other effects in another species. Likewise, dioxin at low doses causes one kind of illness, and at higher doses it causes different illnesses. Only recently have EPA scientists concluded that this puzzling pattern occurs because dioxin acts like an "environmental hormone." Hormones are potent natural chemicals that send messages via the bloodstream, turning on and off chemical switches throughout the body, creating an array of effects in different organs. Dioxin behaves this way. Hormones are present in the body in tiny amounts, yet they can trigger huge changes in various bodily systems. . (Source: Director of Environmental Toxicology for U.S.A. EPA William Reilly - Dioxin Reassessment April 1991 to April 1992))
Dioxin is carcinogenic (causes cells to multiply erratically potentially causing cancer), mutagenic (causes genetic damage), and teratogenic (causes birth defects). Agent Orange is both mutagenic and teratogenic; i.e. it intercepts the genetic DNA message processed to an unborn foetus, thereby resulting in children with a range of illnesses and deformities after birth. (Source: U>S> Department of Veterans Affairs Report regarding the health effects and exposure to Agent Orange. Admiral E.R. Zumwalt 5 May 1990).
A degraded immune system leaves the body less able to defend itself against hostile forces in the natural environment. Dioxin attacks the immune system. ." (Source Linda Birnham, EPA Scientist Reported in Science News 11 January 1992 Pages 24-27)
What happened to our Soldiers in Vietnam?
Beginning as early as 1968, scientists, health officials, politicians and the military began to express concerns about the potential toxicity of Agent Orange and its contaminant dioxin to humans. For instance, in February 1969, the Bionetics Research Council Committee (USA) in a report commissioned by the United States Department of Agriculture found that 2,4,5-T showed a "significant potential to increase birth defects".
However, of the 72 million litres of Agent Orange sprayed in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971, 61% was sprayed in the years 1967 to 1969. The US Army increased the spraying program despite being aware of the health risks. Phuc Tuy Province, the area the Australians operated in, was one of the heaviest sprayed areas. Soldiers who were in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970 have the highest rate of cancers, 624 per 1000. (Source: Vietnam Veterans Morbidity Study 1998).
The Consequence for Our children.
The fact that Dioxin is a proven mutagenic and teratogenic must give weight to our conclusion that our soldiers exposure to a high dose of Agent Orange while in Vietnam is the probable cause of our children's' ill health.
Vietnam Veterans are gradually having more conditions added to their list of accepted illnesses. We are seeing a similar trend with the children. First Spina bifida, then cleft palate, Wilm's Tumour and now Acute Myeloid leukemia. Gradually our children are developing more illnesses. It is important another Survey is conducted as soon as possible to ascertain the full extent of their conditions.
Recent Institute of Medicine updates regarding the association of Agent Orange & birth defects among the offspring of Vietnam veterans indicates a critical need to re-examine this controversial issue. The major limitations of previous studies were crude exposure assessment,selection bias and small sample size. (1999 progress report: reproduction health,serum Dioxin & P450 genes in Vietnam Veterans.)

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