U. S. ground troops in South Vietnam were in areas sprayed with herbicide orange

Technical Report · Fri Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5406663

Between 1966 and 1969 a large number of U.S. ground troops in Vietnam were in areas sprayed with herbicide orange both during and shortly after spraying. DOD took few precautions to prevent exposure because at that time it did not consider the herbicide to be toxic or dangerous to humans. Marines assigned to units in sprayed areas can be identified, but Army personnel cannot because Army records are incomplete. Troops' actual exposure or the degree of exposure to the herbicide cannot be documented from available records. Also, the long-term efects of exposure remain largely unknown. The Congress should direct DOD, VA, HEW, or the Environmental Protection Agency to determine whether a study is needed of the health effects of herbicide orange on ground troops discussed in this report. GAO issued this report at the request of Senator Charles Percy, Ranking Minority Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (USA). Federal Personnel and Compensation Div.
• OSTI ID: 5406663
• Report Number(s): PB-80-113194
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
HERBICIDES
HEALTH HAZARDS
MILITARY PERSONNEL
AIR POLLUTION
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
PESTICIDES
RECOMMENDATIONS
SOUTH VIETNAM
AROMATICS
ASIA
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)