The orange toxin

Between 1961 and 1971, the US sprayed vast areas of Vietnam with a toxic substance called Agent Orange. It made trees and plants lose their leaves. The US used the toxic chemical to make it harder for soldiers from North Vietnam to hide in the jungle. The toxin also destroyed food growing in the fields. The US did not mind food becoming scarce for the soldiers on the opposing side, but ordinary people suffered the most. The name ‘Agent Orange’ comes from the orange containers in which the toxin was stored. The US fitted the containers to helicopters and flew over the jungle and fields, spraying it over everything. Agent Orange contains several different toxic substances, including some of the most dangerous toxins to humans