Herbicides in war: Current status and future doubt
Abstract
The US anti-plant aerial chemical warfare programme in South Vietnam and its effects are described. Between 1961 and 1971, the US, in its forest cover denial programme, expended over 49 million kilograms of herbicides on 2 million hectares of forest lands, and in its food denial programme expended over 3 million kilograms on 300 thousand hectares of croplands. Major herbicides used against forests were 2,4-D (26 million kg), 2,4,5-T (22 million kg), and Picloram (1·5 million kg), while against agricultural fields were used over 3 million kg of dimethylarsinic acid. About 15 per cent of the area of South Vietnam's forests have been sprayed once, and an additional 4 per cent have been sprayed.multiply; about 8 per cent of croplands have been strayed. In the areas that have been sprayed there have been alteration and simplification of the plant and animal communities, a loss of mineral nutrients, acceleration of erosion in hilly terrain, and reduction in ecosystem productivity. Restoration time in the once-sprayed areas is expected to exceed one decade, and, in the multiply-sprayed areas, several decades. Approximately 0·5 million hectares have been utterly devastated. It is estimated that food was destroyed that would have sufficed to supply the total diets for one full year of 894,900 Vietnamese (largely civilian). The herbicides have directly or indirectly resulted in various medical and veterinary problems. Timber losses have been estimated to total 47 million cubic meters.
- Publication:
-
Biological Conservation
- Pub Date:
- 1972
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0006-3207(72)90043-2
- Bibcode:
- 1972BCons...4..322W