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... e to Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam. Studies find that TCDD elicits a diverse spectrum of biological sex, strain, age, and species-specific effects; including carcinogenicity, immuno toxicity, reproductive / developmental toxicity, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, chlorine, and loss of body weight. These effects vary according to the age, sex, species, and strain of the animals involved. To date, the scientific consensus is that TCDD is not genotoxic and that its ability to influence the carcinogenic process is mediated via epigenetic events such as enzyme induction, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and intracellular communication. Children born to Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange may have a greater risk of being born with Spina Bifida, a serious birth defect, according to the latest scientific review of health problems linked to the use of herbicides and dioxin.
The findings have prompted the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to seek legislation that would provide an appropriate remedy to help the estimated 3, 000 children afflicted with the congenital abnormality. According to a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), there is evidence supporting the association between chemicals used for defoliation during the Vietnam War and the above average rate of children of Vietnam veterans born with a deformity of the spine or spinal cord. The health effects of dioxins have gotten more attention than the ecological effects. How did dioxin exposure affect the 3 million U.
S. soldiers who served in Vietnam? According to the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, part of the U. S. Institute of Medicine that was assigned to study the issue, there is strong evidence that dioxin causes three cancers: soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease, and the skin diseases chlorine and PCT (chlorine is a specific acne-like skin disorder, and PCT is a liver disorder characterized by thinning and blistering. The committee also found suggestive links between Agent Orange and three other cancers: respiratory cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma.
Certain cancers, diseases, and disorders that were before linked to exposure of Agent Orange didnt have enough or adequate evidence that would prove that they were linked to Agent Orange spraying. Limited or Suggestive Evidence. There has been found limited or suggestive evidence of an association between exposure to herbicides of the kind used in Vietnam and three other cancers: respiratory cancers, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. Inadequate Evidence. The scientific data for most cancers and other diseases, such as adverse neurological and reproductive effects, were inadequate or insufficient to determine whether an association exists. No Association.
For a small group of cancers, it has been found that a sufficient number and variety of well-designed studies exist to conclude that there is limited or suggestive evidence of no association between these cancers and the herbicides or dioxin. This group includes skin cancer, gastrointestinal tumors (colon, rectal, stomach, and pancreatic), bladder cancer, and brain tumors. First was denial that it was used at all, then denial that it was sprayed on American soldiers, and of course always denial that it had any ill effects. The ultimate decision was that their illness was caused by stress, although cancer, from which some veterans are suffering, may result from chemicals to which some veterans were exposed.
Ultimately it comes down to the simple fact that veterans were not believed about their exposures in Vietnam Whatever the case, and we are never going to get total agreement, credit should be given for recently allowing veterans with cancer to receive treatment without having to argue their individual case. They have not recognized a link between the chemicals and cancer, but have done the next best thing, and in the end that is what the veteran needs... Treatment. Distrust though is still there.
Distrust because it took so long to get treatment, many veterans died of cancers believing that Agent Orange caused it. One of the first was Colin Simpson, who applied for benefits from the Commonwealth Government in 1980. He applied under the repatriation act of 1920, and claimed his cancer resulted from exposure to toxic chemicals during his time in Vietnam. Colin died, but his wife continued on with his claim helped by The Vietnam Veterans Association of America, she was ultimately successful. Veterans of course presumed that this would set a precedent, but that was not the case. Every veteran with cancer would have to prove a link before they could receive any treatment.
Many died of course without being able to do that. Agent Orange was used in Vietnam, but when they finished using it overseas they had plenty of Agent Orange left over. One way they got rid of Agent Orange was selling it to the a state agency called Texas Surplus Agency, which in turn sold it to other state agency's. One of these agencies was Sabine River Authority in Rains Co.
People got hurt or died just to cover up their big mistake that Kelly AFB Made. On January 30, 1990 the Texas Water Commission District 8 Office received a complaint call form Mr. Glen Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson stated that around 1978 he was at the Texas Surplus Property Agency located at 2103 Ackerman Road in San Antonio buying materials for the school district he was working for at the time. Mr.
Wilkinson stated that he had observed the burial of drums on the site. Mr. Wilkinson stated that he believed that the drums he observed being buried contained surplus Agent Orange from the U. S. Military. The writer informed Mr.
Wilkinson that it would be very difficult to substantiate the complaint with out some type of physical evidence. He was informed that some type of physical examination of the disposal area would be required to obtain the necessary proof. Mr. Wilkinson contacted the District 8 Office again on February 21, 1990 and provided Henry Kernel with a more detailed description of the location of the buried drums. On February 27, 1990 the writer conducted an inspection of the Texas Surplus Property Agency site.
Marvin Titzman (executive director) represented the Texas Surplus Property Agency. Mr. Titzman stated that although the agency had handled surplus Agent Orange and other surplus pesticides at the facility, none of the material was ever buried. He stated that nothing had ever been buried at the facility. Mr. Titzman stated that he was unwilling to spend any of the agency's funds to search for buried drums but that the Texas Water Commission was free to conduct any type of search as long as the site was left in good condition.
Inspection of the storage yard of the Texas Surplus Property Agency on February 27, 1990 did not uncover any physical evidence that any waste was buried on-site. Over the next three months options were discussed with Mr. Wilkinson as to the best method to gather physical evidence to substantiate his complaint. Mr. Wilkinson says that the 50 to 200 drums of Agent Orange and other toxic waste that he saw being buried in 1979 at Texas Surplus Property Agency were still there in 1990. When in 1990 he got to go on to the property, when he arrived he picked up metal in the ground with a metal detector.
Then he re-got permission to go on the property and two months later he picked up 22 more hot spots in the parking lot at 2103 Ackerman Rd, in San Antonio in Guadalupe County. Mr. Wilkinson states that if you go to the southeast corner of the property then by counting the metal fence posts going toward the southwest fence post, counting from the first post and going down to the 35 th post, you should be in the middle of the storage lot. At the 35 th fence post go 15 feet north from the south fence, and dig down 15 feet, there you will find buried drums! He says that when this site is uncovered, it will prove that the city of Dallas was contaminated with Agent Orange, because it will prove that Agent Orange was being sold to Sabine River Authority and that what he saw was true. Agent Orange has effected the lives of millions of people, the people that had the bad fate to be exposed to this deadly chemical had families and they felt, as much if not more pain than the people contaminated than you would think.
Agent Orange was one of the most irresponsible things this country has ever put into action, they tested it before it was put to use, and they saw that it was harmful, but they used it anyway. Because of the irresponsibility of the government, thousands of U. S. soldiers gave their lives to something that was intentionally used to affect the bad guys. Now millions of people have large deep wholes in their souls; theyve lost a family member or friend due to a side effect of a chemical used to give the U. S.
soldiers the upper hand, they now have to learn to cope with their losses, while they government is still probably producing new, and more harmful chemicals, with the intent of using them harmfully. In my opinion, these practices, if not altered will lead to the words end. Bibliography:
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