U.S. Professor Gives Presentation on Ecological Study of Agent Orange

June 22, 2007

On June 20, Professor Alvin L. Young of the University of Oklahoma gave a presentation on the topic "Results from a 15-year ecological study in a unique field ecosystem, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida" to about 30 Vietnamese scientists and officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Defense.  The presentation provided information on a long-term field study from 1969 to 1984 of an area of three square kilometers at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.  This site had earlier been repetitively sprayed with 2,4,5-T containing herbicides (often known as Agent Orange) as part of a 1961-1971 program to develop, test, and evaluate aerial spray equipment used in Operation Ranch Hand in Vietnam.  This study, in which Professor Young was the Principal Investigator, adds to the scientific understanding of the environmental impact and fate of 2,3,7,8-TCDD (a dioxin contaminant) and 2,4,5-T herbicides in an ecosystem.

During these spraying tests in Florida, the test site was sprayed with at least 1,300 times more Agent Orange and other 2,4,5-T herbicides than in any area in Vietnam.  The study concludes that it is likely that 99 percent of the contaminant TCDD dioxin never persisted beyond the day of application due to degradation by sunlight.  No adverse ecological effects were documented in animals and plants despite the massive quantities of herbicides and dioxin applied.  Dr. Young reports that this information has not been considered in previous reviews by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine.  During the discussion, Dr. Young noted that herbicides that are spilled directly on the soil and soak into the ground before degradation persist, and therefore are of concern.  Such areas may exist where herbicides were stored and prepared for use.

Professor Young's presentation followed a two-day workshop conducted in Hanoi on June 18 and 19 by U.S. Department of Defense and Vietnam Ministry of Defense officials to discuss issues related to the wartime use of chemical herbicides and defoliants in Vietnam.

Professor Young is currently a senior fellow at the University of Oklahoma and the Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Environmental Science and Pollution.  He has published four books and more than 70 peer-reviewed publications on the herbicides used in Vietnam.