Notes from the Field 2007

By Jooyeon Hwang

I visited the Vietnam War Remnants Museum in HCMC. During the Vietnam War, most southern Vietnamese were exposed to defoliant mixtures, including Agent Orange. As you see the picture, many children were born with congenital deformity.

Mentally handicapped Vietnamese children and teenagers were still suffering from the harmful effect of Agent Orange after the Vietnam War. In the environmental toxicology class in 2006, I presented the “Agent Orange: during War and present in Vietnam” with members in the group. The situation was worse than my presentation. Very small Agent Orange concentrations can cause negative effects on the environment and on human health.

Evidence suggested some lasting health effects from these exposures, including impairment of the immune system, nervous system, and certain cancers.

Vietnam War Remnants Museum- Agent Orange section It was hard to see people who exposed to the Agent Orange even the pictures. How toxic was the Agent Orange while Vietnam War? I had a moment silence in honor of those who had died during the war.