ALMOST 30 years after American planes stopped spraying Agent Orange in
Vietnam, some people in contaminated areas have more than 100 times as much
dioxin in their blood as people in the country’s capital. Measurements by an
American researcher show levels are at their highest since 1973 because the
herbicide is now concentrated in people’s food.
About 70 million litres of Agent Orange were sprayed on Vietnam during the
war. The herbicide stripped trees of foliage, and helped American forces locate
Vietnamese soldiers on the ground. But Agent Orange was contaminated by TCDD, a
particularly potent dioxin. As well as…
