(4) Safety precautions and decontamination. WHITE exhibits a low hazard from accidental ingestion. However, it may cause some irritation if splashed into the eyes. Should eye contact occur, flush with plenty of water. Splashes on the skin should be thoroughly washed with soap and water at the first opportunity. Contaminated clothing should be washed before reuse. When WHITE is used in the same equipment as BLUE, all of the WHITE should be removed before using BLUE. The two agents produce a white precipitate that will clog spray systems.
| Antiplantagent | Composition |
|---|---|
| ORANGE | 50% 2,4-D (n-butyl-2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate); 50% 2,4,5-T (n-butyl-2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate) |
| WHITE | 20% picloram (4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid); 80% 2,4-D (triisopropanolamine) |
| BLUE (Phytar 560G) | 3 pounds per gallon of water of: 65% of cacodylic acid (dimethylarsenic acid); 35% inert ingredients: sodium chloride, sodium and calcium sulfates, water |
| Year | Defoliation | Crop Destruction |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 4,940 acres | 741 acres |
| 1963 | 24,700 | 247 |
| 1964 | 83,486 | 10,374 |
| 1965 | 155,610 | 65,949 |
| 1966 | 741,247 | 101,517 |
| 1967 | 1,486,446 | 221,312 |
| 1968 | 1,267,110 | 63,726 |
| 1969 (January–March) | 356,421 | 4,693 |
| - | 4,119,960 | 468,559 |
SOURCE: Military Assistance Command Vietnam Reports.
VA Memo Circulated on May 18, 1978
Directors, VA hospitals, domiciliary, outpatient clinics, and regional offices with outpatient clinics.
Subject: Potential exposures of veterans to chemical defoliants during the Vietnam War.
1. During the Vietnam War, herbicidal war chemicals were utilized for defoliation of vegetation. Recently concern has developed among some scientific and other groups that these chemicals may be capable of producing adverse health effects on individuals who were exposed to the herbicides. Because of their potential impact on a segment of the veteran population, the VA is attempting to develop accurate information on the health-related effects of the defoliants utilized during the Vietnam War.
2. The four defoliants utilized regularly were picloram, cacodylic acid, 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. These were mixed in variable proportions and placed in color-coded storage drums which were identified as “Agent Orange,” “Agent White,” “Agent Blue,” and “Agent Purple.” A large number of studies performed on man and several animal species have demonstrated that the four herbicides have a low level of toxicity, both individually and when mixed. Furthermore they appear to be rapidly absorbed and completely excreted in both the human and the animal.
3. Humans exposed repeatedly to these agents may experience temporary and fully reversible neurological symptoms; however, the only chronic condition definitely associated with such exposure in humans is chloracne. Comprehensive animal studies performed under experimental conditions have demonstrated that very massive doses of these agents produce fatty degeneration of solid organs, gastrointestinal disturbances and thymic atrophy, all of which were reversible after withdrawal of the chemicals.
4. These studies have failed to confirm the suggestion in the Vietnamese medical literature that liver cancer, frequent abortions, and fetal birth defects occur among those exposed to the defoliants. In addition, no confirmation has been obtained for the experimental studies of one scientist who found that hepatic and pancreatic cancers followed prolonged exposure to one of the chemicals.
5. In contrast to the apparent low toxicity of the four defoliants evidence has been adduced that a contaminant called dioxin found in some of the storage drums has a significant potential toxicity. Although its concentration of dioxin was variable in different drums, it was always found in minute quantities. Experimental evidence from animal studies indicates that this chemical is eliminated from the body fairly rapidly and that it produces its toxic effects rather promptly. All available data suggests that it is not retained in tissues for prolonged periods of time. Accordingly, the recent suggestion by some observers that dioxin might still be detected in the fat tissues of Vietnam veterans exposed to it appears to be implausible.
6. Despite the generally negative results of human and animal studies of the toxicity potential of the Vietnam defoliants, a great deal of concern has been engendered among veterans and their families by media presentations on these agents. The VA is responding to these concerns by working collaboratively with appropriate experts from the federal and private sectors in order to more adequately define the potential human toxicity of the defoliants for humans. You will be periodically informed concerning the results of these efforts.
7. Meanwhile, we request that all VA staff who are called upon to deal with veterans who are concerned about toxic effects from a possible exposure to the defoliants adhere to the following protococlass="underline"
A. Every veteran who alleges defoliant exposure must receive prompt, courteous, compassionate consideration.
B. If the veteran has no objective symptoms or signs, simple reassurance should be offered. The veteran should be told that a record of the medical examination will be kept for future reference, but that if the veteran does not now have symptoms and did not previously experience any, the likelihood of herbicide poisoning is virtually zero.