Agent Orange Negative Effects

Agent Orange Negative Effects

The Cancerous Side Effects of Agent Orange



Agent Orange was a powerful herbicide used by the U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops. Up to four million people were exposed and now about one million people suffer from serious health issues. Even their children who were not exposed can suffer from spina bifida and birth defects, while up to four generation can have health problems. People who have been exposed to Agent Orange can suffer from certain cancers like soft tissue sarcoma, non–Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin disease, and even chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).



Agent Orange was first introduced in 1961 six years after the Vietnam war began and is made up of a mixture of two herbicides, 2,4,5–Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4–Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Both chemicals cause gene damage which is why most offspring of the people exposed have birth defects. Once it has gotten into the body, it attached to a protein called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, where it then influences gene expression. It also contains 2,3,7,8–Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, which is considered the most toxic and even classified as a human carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency. With Agent Orange containing such toxic chemicals, many people had almost immediate reactions. Some people had darkening skin where they had been exposed and some had developed chloracne, an acne like skin disease. After they had been exposed, most people fell

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