- The university of Oklahoma, Institute for Science and Public Policy, Department Memberadd
- For more than 40 years, Dr. Alvin L. Young has been an active researcher involved in numerous areas of environmental ... moreFor more than 40 years, Dr. Alvin L. Young has been an active researcher involved in numerous areas of environmental science. He completed his Ph.D. in Herbicide Physiology and Environmental Toxicology at Kansas State University in 1968. His area of specialty is the toxicology, human impact, and environmental fate of Agent Orange and its associated dioxin as used in the Vietnam War.(For more than 40 years, Dr. Alvin L. Young has been an active researcher involved in numerous areas of environmental science. He completed his Ph.D. in Herbicide Physiology and Environmental Toxicology at Kansas State University in 1968. His area of specialty is the toxicology, human impact, and environmental fate of Agent Orange and its associated dioxin as used in the Vietnam War.)edit
Issue: Approximately 3 million Allied personnel from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea served in the Republic of Vietnam from March 1965 through March 1973 in what became known as the Vietnam-American... more
Issue: Approximately 3 million Allied personnel from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea served in the Republic of Vietnam from March 1965 through March 1973 in what became known as the Vietnam-American War. In March 1978, a widely distributed documentary "Agent Orange: Vietnams Deadly Fog", generated fear and anger in Vietnam veterans of that War who became aware that the tactical herbicide Agent Orange, a defoliant, had been deployed in combat operations to improve visibility in enemy controlled jungle and infiltration routes, and around base perimeters. One of the herbicidal components of Agent Orange (2,4,5-T herbicide) contained the contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo p-dioxin (TCDD), a highly toxic chemical associated with industrial accidents and an alleged teratogen in forestry programs where the herbicide was widely sprayed for brush control and conifer release. Following the release of the documentary, thousands of Allied Vietnam Veterans overwhelmed Veterans Administrations claiming Agent Orange and the associated dioxin were responsible for numerous diseases, birth defects, and long-term health issues. Despite the passage of almost 50 years, science has not been able to answer the question of the health impacts of alleged environmental exposures to either the TCDD or the tactical herbicides on Vietnam veterans. Thus, at the heart of the issues the question remains, were Vietnam veterans ever exposed to Agent Orange and TCDD or was it the Vietnam experience that has impacted the long-term health of the Vietnam veteran? Background: From March 1965 through April 1971, the United States Air Force and the US Army Chemical Corps sprayed approximately 74.2 million liters of tactical herbicides on 1.7 million hectares of the inland forests, savannas, and grasslands of South Vietnam. Contained within the 74.2 million L was 43.3 million L of the tactical herbicide known as Agent Orange that was contaminated with 130 kg of TCDD. Numerous research studies have been conducted in Vietnam, all alleging that the TCDD from Agent Orange was responsible for health issues among the Vietnamese. However, a careful assessment of the sources of TCDD in Vietnam indicated that significant quantities of TCDD were in the waterways and atmosphere due to the pollution from industries and open burning of municipal and industrial wastes, and not from Agent Orange. Human Studies: The deployment of in-country medical support in the War by the Allied Forces was instrumental in saving lives. What was unexpected was that more casualties died from insect-transmitted diseases and other health related issues than from enemy bullets and bombs. The more than 50 health studies of Vietnam veterans by the four Allied nations confirmed that with two exceptions (the Air Force Health Study of veterans from Operation RANCH HAND, and health studies of US Army Chemical Corps personnel) Vietnam veterans were never exposed to Agent Orange or TCDD. What the health studies did confirm
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Purpose: To determine current institutional practice patterns for the use of perioperative antibiotics and other measures to prevent infection after cataract surgery in Asia. Methods: An online survey-based study of leading eye... more
Purpose: To determine current institutional practice patterns for the use of perioperative antibiotics and other measures to prevent infection after cataract surgery in Asia. Methods: An online survey-based study of leading eye institutions in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The survey was administered to 26 representative key opinion leaders from prominent tertiary eye institutions that are also national academic teaching institutions in Asia. Survey responses were collated and anonymized during analysis. Results: All surveyed institutions used povidone iodine for the pre-operative antiseptic preparation of the eye, with notable variations in the concentration of povidone iodine used for conjunctival sac instillation. Pre-operative topical antibiotics were prescribed by 61.5% and 69.2% of institutions in low-risk and high-risk cases, respectively. Regarding the use of intra-operative a...
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Research Interests: Engineering, Documentation, Vietnam War, Vietnam, Medicine, and 15 moreBiological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Humans, Agent Orange, Aeronautics, Carcinogens, Mosquito Control, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unexploded Ordnance, Aircraft, Retrospective Studies, Military Personnel, Environmental Exposure, and battle
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AbstractPhysicians and other members of the medical community frequently are asked about “Agent Orange” and potentially “associated” health issues. The Vietnam War officially ended in 1975, but concerns over the legacy of Agent Orange... more
AbstractPhysicians and other members of the medical community frequently are asked about “Agent Orange” and potentially “associated” health issues. The Vietnam War officially ended in 1975, but concerns over the legacy of Agent Orange linger to this day. Under the Agent Orange Act of 1991, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) recognizes 14 diseases associated with alleged exposure to Agent Orange, its associated dioxin (TCDD) contaminant, and other tactical herbicides used in combat operations in Vietnam during the war. The medical community needs to understand why Agent Orange has become a national public health issue, and be prepared to respond to questions by veterans and the public. Although the Institute of Medicine (IOM) provided recommendations to DVA on the medical issues, they were directed by the Act to develop “statistical associations” for human diseases rather than to establish cause and effect relationships. No IOM report determined a consistent, cohe...
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Field studies of the persistence and movement of 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were conducted during 1973- 1979 on a unique 3.0 km2 military test area (Test Area C-52A, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida) that was aerially... more
Field studies of the persistence and movement of 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were conducted during 1973- 1979 on a unique 3.0 km2 military test area (Test Area C-52A, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida) that was aerially sprayed with 73,000 kg 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) during the period 1962–1970. Analysis of archived samples of the formulations indicated that approximately 2.8 kg TCDD were applied as a contaminant of the herbicide. However, 2.6 kg of this TCDD were applied to a 37 ha test grid (Grid I) from June 1962 through July 1964. Levels of 10 to 1,500 parts-per-trillion (ppt) could be found in the top 15 cm of soil 14 years after the last application of herbicide on this site. Nevertheless, analysis of 61 soil samples suggested that less than one percent of the TCDD remained on the test area. Photodegradation at the time of and immediately after aerial application probably accounted for much of the disappearance of TCDD, although volatilization, w...
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In the case of Thailand and its many airbases, the Compensation Service of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has not conducted a comprehensive search of the historical records that were retrieved from Vietnam and are now a... more
In the case of Thailand and its many airbases, the Compensation Service of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has not conducted a comprehensive search of the historical records that were retrieved from Vietnam and are now a continuing source of research. Thailand veterans were previously eligible for health care for any injuries they incurred during their service in Thailand. However, they were not eligible for health care for diseases and compensation as provided to Vietnam veterans under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Recently, the "Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act" (PACT Act) was passed by the United States Congress that permits veterans who served in Thailand and Guam during the Vietnam War to be eligible for health care and compensation for their exposure to Agent Orange, despite the absence of any evidence from historical records. Too often the pressure from members of Congress, as in the case of Thailand and Guam, the enactment of the PACT Act dictated a course of action. This action and others involving Agent Orange are examples where "political" forces make a mockery of the science and historical records.
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In the case of Thailand and its many airbases, the Compensation Service of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has not conducted a comprehensive search of the historical records that were retrieved from Vietnam and are now a... more
In the case of Thailand and its many airbases, the Compensation Service of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has not conducted a comprehensive search of the historical records that were retrieved from Vietnam and are now a continuing source of research. Thailand veterans were previously eligible for health care for any injuries they incurred during their service in Thailand. However, they were not eligible for health care for diseases and compensation as provided to Vietnam veterans under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Recently, the "Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act" (PACT Act) was passed by the United States Congress that permits veterans who served in Thailand and Guam during the Vietnam War to be eligible for health care and compensation for their exposure to Agent Orange, despite the absence of any evidence from historical records. Too often the pressure from members of Congress, as in the case of Thailand and Guam, the enactment of the PACT Act dictated a course of action. This action and others involving Agent Orange are examples where "political" forces make a mockery of the science and historical records.
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In January 1962, the first Allied combat, combat advisory, and support forces arrived in South Vietnam. By the end of the War, almost 3 million allied personnel had been engaged in this violent conflict. Six nations provided the Allied... more
In January 1962, the first Allied combat, combat advisory, and support forces arrived in South Vietnam. By the end of the War, almost 3 million allied personnel had been engaged in this violent conflict. Six nations provided the Allied Military Forces to support the Republic of South Vietnam from 1965 through March of 1973. The tropical environment posed many challenges to the Allied Military forces in waging a war against an elusive enemy who had a history of fighting in such an environment. Most Allied combat units spent weeks in the brush enduring the inhospitable environment that included an invisible but deadly enemy. For those soldiers living in outposts or isolated bases or airfields, the constant enemy shelling deprived them of sleep, leaving them exhausted, disoriented, and too often contentious and increasingly depressed. Beyond the possibilities of injury and death during combat, military personnel were exposed to diverse agents and environments that may have affected their health, and thus caused injury and diseases while in service or after discharge. Indeed, insect-transmitted diseases and other health related issues accounted for more causalities than enemy bullets and bombs. Many of those exposures reflected diverse tasks and functions of military personnel serving in unfamiliar environments associated with combat operations. Fifty health studies of Vietnam veterans by four of the Allied Nations confirmed that with two exceptions, no Vietnam veterans were ever exposed to Agent Orange. What the health studies did confirm was the impact of the "Vietnam Experience" on the long-term health of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War.
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Field investigations were conducted during 1973–1978 on populations of the beachmouse, Peromyscus polionotus, from a unique 3.0 km2 military test area (Test Area C-52A, Eglin AFB, Florida) that was sprayed with 73,000 kg 2,4,5-trichloro-... more
Field investigations were conducted during 1973–1978 on populations of the beachmouse, Peromyscus polionotus, from a unique 3.0 km2 military test area (Test Area C-52A, Eglin AFB, Florida) that was sprayed with 73,000 kg 2,4,5-trichloro- phenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) herbicide during the period 1962–1970. No residues of 2,4,5-T were detected at a lower detection limit of 10 parts per billion in any soil sample collected during 1971–1972. Residues of 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro- dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were still present in 1978. During 1974–1978, 54 soil samples were collected to a depth of 15 cm on the test area. TCDD levels ranged from 10 to 1,500 parts per trillion (ppt). Liver tissue from 36 individual beachmice inhabiting the test site contained 300 to 2,900 ppt TCDD. A close relationship between soil and liver levels of TCDD was observed, i.e., high liver levels of TCDD were consistent with high soil levels of TCDD, bioconcentration factors (mean liver concentrations divided by mean soil concentrations) ranged from 6 for females to 18 for males. Whole body analysis of fetuses from test area females indicated apparent placental transport of TCDD. Histopathological examinations were performed on 255 adult or fetal beachmice from the test area and a control area. Examinations were performed on the heart, lungs, trachea, salivary glands, thymus, liver, kidneys, stomach, pancreas, adrenals, large and small intestine, spleen, genital organs, bone, bone marrow, skin and brain. Initially the tissues were examined on a blind study basis. All microscopic changes were recorded including those interpreted as minor or insignificant. The tissues were then reexamined on a control versus test basis, which demonstrated that the test and control mice could not be distinguished histo-pathologically. The mean number of fetuses per observed pregnancy was 3.1 and 3.4 for the test area and a control area, respectively. A single female beachmouse is capable of producing a litter every 26 days. At this frequency, the animals collected in 1978 could have been 50 generations removed from the population studied in 1973. A two-factor (treatment and year) dispropor- tional analysis of covariance of organ weights revealed that liver weights for pregnant beachmice from the test area were significantly heavier (P<.01) than liver weights of pregnant females from the control area, and these differences were consistent over the five years of observation. These studies suggest that long-term, low level exposure to TCDD under field conditions has had minimal effect upon the health and reproduction of the beachmouse.
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Most of the present members of the Medical Community likely entered graduate school and/or medical school many years after the Vietnam War was over. Nevertheless, these physicians and health providers likely have been asked about the... more
Most of the present members of the Medical Community likely entered graduate school and/or medical school many years after the Vietnam War was over. Nevertheless, these physicians and health providers likely have been asked about the health impacts of the tactical herbicide “Agent Orange” that was used as a defoliant in the Vietnam War. Beginning with the Agent Orange Act of 1991, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA or alternatively VA, Veterans Administration) determined that veterans who were exposed Abstract
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In 1994, the United States Congress established 35 Colleges or Universities on Reservation Lands of the Native Americans throughout the Midwest and Western United States. These new institutions were provided annual funds from the United... more
In 1994, the United States Congress established 35 Colleges or Universities on Reservation Lands of the Native Americans throughout the Midwest and Western United States. These new institutions were provided annual funds from the United States Department of Agriculture for education, research and extension, components of the Land-Grant system. Today, issues related to risk assessment and risk management confront tribal decision-makers as they cope with risks, both real and perceived, that include the transportation of hazardous materials through the reservation, the clean-up of contaminated sites within the reservation, the environmental restoration of Federal facilities, the siting of waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, the development of tribal mineral and other natural resources, and the construction and operation of industrial and commercial facilities within the reservation. Tribal decision-makers lack Indian-specific epidemiologic, genetic, and cultural informat...
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Abstract : In conjunction with an Air Force program of testing defoliation spray equipment on Eglin Air Force Base Reservation, Florida, a histological study was undertaken to determine if any structural changes were evident in a plant... more
Abstract : In conjunction with an Air Force program of testing defoliation spray equipment on Eglin Air Force Base Reservation, Florida, a histological study was undertaken to determine if any structural changes were evident in a plant species (Yucca filamentosa L.) found occurring on the one-square-mile grid of Test Area C-52A. This grid has received repetitive applications of operational quantities of the military defoliants Orange and White. The results of the study indicated no apparent differences in the formation of histological structures in samples obtained from an area that had received repetitive applications of military defoliants and in those samples obtained from an area which had not received the defoliant applications. Both samples followed the normal structural development for this species. (Author)
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Abstract : Nine months after the last defoliant-equipment test mission on the one-square-mile grid of Test Area C-52A, a vegetative coverage survey was conducted. The percent of vegetative coverage within 169 sections (each 400 by 400... more
Abstract : Nine months after the last defoliant-equipment test mission on the one-square-mile grid of Test Area C-52A, a vegetative coverage survey was conducted. The percent of vegetative coverage within 169 sections (each 400 by 400 feet) was ranked in one of six possible classes. The average number of dicotyledonous (broadleaf) plants was determined for each coverage class. Seventy-four dicotyledonous species were found on the one-square mile grid and the average number of species within vegetative coverage classes ranged from five in class 0 (0 to 5% cover) to 24 in class V (80 to 100% cover). A control area contained 28 species, all of which were also on the grid except for two species. The existence in class 0 or class 1 areas of dicotyledonous plants that are susceptible to the active ingredients of military defoliants indicates that the amount of defoliant residues in the soil is insignificant. The present vegetative coverage of sections of the grid is due to a combination of soil moisture content, prior mechanical disturbances and prior defoliant spraying. In those areas having a relatively high soil moisture content, considerable vegetation has returned, regardless of whether the vegetation was removed mechanically or by defoliants. (Author)
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Since 1980, controversy has persisted over the locations at which the Department of Defense (DOD) may have used, tested or evaluated, the herbicides containing 2,4,5-T and its associated dioxin, and ‘‘other herbicides’’ used in the... more
Since 1980, controversy has persisted over the locations at which the Department of Defense (DOD) may have used, tested or evaluated, the herbicides containing 2,4,5-T and its associated dioxin, and ‘‘other herbicides’’ used in the Vietnam War. Adding to the controversy is the confusion by the public, Vietnam veterans, and by the Department of Veterans Affairs as to the distinction between ‘‘commercial herbicides’’ purchased by the DOD and ‘‘tactical herbicides’’ developed by the DOD. Contrary to historical records, many individuals thought that commercially available herbicides were purchased directly from the chemical companies and deployed to the battlefields in Vietnam. However, the use of commercial herbicides was under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces Pest Control Board (subsequently the Armed Forces Pest Management Board), Forest Glen Station, Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. The uses and application of commercial herbicides were the responsibilities of the Base Civil Engineers, while tactical herbicides were under the control of special military units (e.g., Army Chemical Corps, and the 7th Air Force’s 12th Special Operations Squadron) specifically trained to handle and apply them in hostile military environments. The history of the military development and use of tactical herbicides dates to World War II. The lead agency in developing and testing these tactical herbicides was the USArmy Chemical Corps Research Laboratories at Fort Detrick, Maryland. This Chapter describes the development and procurement of the tactical herbicides used in Vietnam.
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This book tells the story of Agent Orange, its usage and the policies that surround it. Agent Orange Contained a contaminant known as TCDD. It Was the most widely used defoliant from 1965 - 1970 and became one of the three major tactical... more
This book tells the story of Agent Orange, its usage and the policies that surround it. Agent Orange Contained a contaminant known as TCDD. It Was the most widely used defoliant from 1965 - 1970 and became one of the three major tactical herbicides used in Vietnam. More than 45 major health studies were conducted with Vietnam veterans from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Korea seeking a relationship between veterans' health and TCDD. Allegations of birth defects in the families of Vietnam veterans and the Vietnamese represented a case study in propaganda and deliberate misinformation by the government of Vietnam. The Policies of the US Government implemented by Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) identified 17 recognized associated presumptive diseases that failed the tests of "cause and effect" and common sense. This book tells the story of Agent Orange, its usage, the health studies and those policies from a diverse range of perspectives, delving into science, history, policy and ethics. It is of interest to scholars engaged in history, political and social philosophy and ethics.