What is Agent Orange?

Agent Orange was the code name for a herbicide/defoliant used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. It was a mixture of the herbicides 2,4‑D and 2,4,5‑T and was employed to remove jungle cover and destroy food crops of hostile forces [1]. Large-scale aerial spraying of Agent Orange occurred mainly between 1962 and 1971; the formulation is notorious because it was contaminated with dioxin, a highly toxic by‑product linked to long-term health and environmental damage. Military programs such as Operation Ranch Hand carried out most defoliation missions, accounting for the majority of Agent Orange use in Vietnam [2].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/agent-orange/05245.pdf
2. [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236347/