Air force aircraft returned from Vietnam identified as postwar source of agent orange contamination
Sunday, February 23, 2014 - 06:31
in Physics & Chemistry
From 1971-1982 Air Force reservists, who flew in about 34 dioxin-contaminated aircraft used to spray Agent Orange and returned to the US following discontinuation of the herbicide spraying operations in the Vietnam War, were exposed greater levels of dioxin than previously acknowledged, according to a study. The new evidence is contrary to current position held by Air Force and VA. "These findings are important because they describe a previously unrecognized source of exposure to dioxin that has health significance to those who engaged in the transport work using these aircraft," says the lead investigator, an environmental engineer with many years of experience evaluating environmental exposures in the Air Force.