![]() ![]() Greg Gibson/AP A scourge on the environment Kuwaiti oil wells set alight by fleeing Iraqi troops in 1991 – smoke from which is toxic. chemical warfare in Vietnam unleashed a slow-moving disaster Research has also linked Agent Orange to human genome instability (or genome mutations) in adults and children.Īgent Orange, exposed: How U.S. ![]() In some locations, extremely high levels of dioxins have been found in soil, sediment and foods, as well as human breast milk and blood. In Vietnam, research suggests a greatly increased risk of birth defects among children of parents exposed to Agent Orange. Toxic remnants of war can result in many adverse health effects in humans. For example, a UN official this month said the Syrian government’s “absence of accountability” for using chemical weapons in the nation’s long-running civil war was “a threat to international peace and security and a danger to us all”. However, unlike many past wars, today’s armed conflicts increasingly take place in urban and industrialised areas, posing a significant risk to civilians and their environment.Īnd the use of chemical weapons continues. Chlorine and mustard gas, for example, were used in the First World War. The use of poisonous gases and other hazardous substances in warfare has a long history. Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War contained dangerous dioxins that continue to damage people and the environment today. Some toxic remnants are a direct result of armed conflict. Bottom photo shows a nearby area after the attack. Top photo shows a mangrove forest near Saigon before US forces sprayed it with the chemical defoliant Agent Orange in 1965. ![]()
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