Vietnam War Agent Orange Poison Effects on Wildlife
The American Public Health Association estimates that 19 million gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed over 5.5 million acres of South Vietnam between 1967 and 1968 to defoliate enemy cover. The chemicals have had serious impacts on the wildlife of the region.
Jungle Habitats
Agent Orange defoliated a significant amount of jungle. The animals that inhabited the area, such as wild boars, tigers, birds and deer, could not survive in the grasslands; their numbers have drastically decreased.
Aquatic Ecosystems
Agent Orange was sprayed around waterways to kill mangrove trees; mangrove trees serve as breeding grounds and nurseries for many types of fish and crustaceans.
Reproduction
Animals exposed to dioxin, a by-product of Agent Orange, are born with smaller gonads. Some animals lack typical mating behavior due to decreased sperm counts and experience endometriosis as well as incomplete sexual development.
Disease
In 1994, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta reported that wildlife exposed to Agent Orange suffered from vascular lesions, appetite loss and gastric ulcers.
Domestic Animals
Domestic animals exposed to Agent Orange, such as water buffalo, ducks, chickens and pigs, also suffered from diseases related to dioxin exposure.
Tags: Agent Orange, Agent Orange Poison, Agent Orange sprayed, Effects Wildlife, exposed Agent, exposed Agent Orange