Another Toxic Chemical Called Agent Blue Also Caused Health Issues
Although many of the long-term health impacts of the Vietnam War are related to Agent Orange, the herbicide wasn’t the only toxic chemical troops and civilians were exposed to during the war. Millions of gallons of so-called rainbow herbicides were used to wipe out crops and forests, exposing approximately 4.8 million people to the chemicals’ damaging effects. Agent Blue was another herbicide used during the Vietnam War that contained arsenic, a highly toxic chemical once commonly used as a deadly poison. Those who survive arsenic poisoning face a lifetime of health issues. Arsenic exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancers, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Like Agent Orange, Agent Blue remains in the soil and water of areas dusted with the chemical, ensuring its devastating effects last for generations.
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Veterans’ Diseases Associated with Agent Orange