ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
2-ethylhexyl ester of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid 31.5 %
2-ethylhexyl ester of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 33.0 %
INERT INGREDIENTS 35.5 %
What is a 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid?
it is a chemical that was being developed during late 1940th as a herbicide that defoliates plants. It has similar effect as plant hormone called auxin, which will lead to defoliate
What is a 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid?
It is a herbicide that is still being used today. It triggers abnormal cell division with its auxin like effect that will lead to defoliate
Why will auxin like effect lead to defoliation?
Auxins coordinate growth of plants in cellular to whole plant. When the concentration of Auxin is too high, it will restraint the growth of plants. So by using 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid that have similar effect as auxin, you can limit the growth of plant and trigger an abnormal growth to kill the plants.
During the war time, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, which make the agent orange, had to be sprayed as a mist form from sky using air crafts and these chemicals that are used in agent orange must have been melted in some sort of solvent to be sprayed as mist. So USA chemical companies basically used the ester of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and chemicals, which means they didn't spread 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid directly.
This is just one of the possible ingredient of Agent orange. The actual ingredient could be different because they never announce the actual composite of the Agent orange.
How Agent Orange Worked
Agent Orange has been linked to many health problems in Vietnam veterans and Vietnamese civilians. Thousands have died from conditions likely brought on by exposure to Agent Orange. The herbicide, and its component dioxin, is considered to be one of the most dangerous substances in the world [source: Glaberson]. Overall, the mass spraying of Agent Orange has been called an "ecocide" because of the devastation that it wrought on the Vietnamese environment and on the health of many residents of that country [source: Hitchens].
The name Agent Orange comes from the containers that it was stored in, which had an orange stripe. In all, the United States used 15 herbicides in Southeast Asia, including Agents Orange, Blue, White, Pink, Purple and Green, all of which were mixtures of various herbicides and defoliants [source: Veterans Administration]. Agent Orange was a mix of two herbicides called 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T. Agent Orange's development came about in part due to work by Dr. Arthur W. Galston, a botanist who researched compounds that boost plant growt h, known as growth regulators. But after the U.S. military began using Agent Orange in Vietnam, Galston observed its effects and worked to publicize the damage that the defoliant caused to plants, animals, ecosystems and human health. He became one o f the foremost campaigners against the use of Agent Orange.
Ingredients
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
2-ethylhexyl ester of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid 31.5 %
2-ethylhexyl ester of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 33.0 %
INERT INGREDIENTS 35.5 %
What is a 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid?
it is a chemical that was being developed during late 1940th as a herbicide that defoliates plants. It has similar effect as plant hormone called auxin, which will lead to defoliate
What is a 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid?
It is a herbicide that is still being used today. It triggers abnormal cell division with its auxin like effect that will lead to defoliate
Why will auxin like effect lead to defoliation?
Auxins coordinate growth of plants in cellular to whole plant. When the concentration of Auxin is too high, it will restraint the growth of plants. So by using 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid that have similar effect as auxin, you can limit the growth of plant and trigger an abnormal growth to kill the plants.
What are Esters?
Below is the extract from English Wikipedia,
Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid (one containing an oxo group, X=O) with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol.[1]Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an -O-alkyl (alkoxy) group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and alcohols.
During the war time, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, which make the agent orange, had to be sprayed as a mist form from sky using air crafts and these chemicals that are used in agent orange must have been melted in some sort of solvent to be sprayed as mist. So USA chemical companies basically used the ester of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and chemicals, which means they didn't spread 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid directly.
This is just one of the possible ingredient of Agent orange. The actual ingredient could be different because they never announce the actual composite of the Agent orange.
How Agent Orange Worked
Agent Orange has been linked to many health problems in Vietnam veterans and Vietnamese civilians. Thousands have died from conditions likely brought on by exposure to Agent Orange. The herbicide, and its component dioxin, is considered to be one of the most dangerous substances in the world [source: Glaberson]. Overall, the mass spraying of Agent Orange has been called an "ecocide" because of the devastation that it wrought on the Vietnamese environment and on the health of many residents of that country [source: Hitchens].
The name Agent Orange comes from the containers that it was stored in, which had an orange stripe. In all, the United States used 15 herbicides in Southeast Asia, including Agents Orange, Blue, White, Pink, Purple and Green, all of which were mixtures of various herbicides and defoliants [source: Veterans Administration]. Agent Orange was a mix of two herbicides called 2,4,-D and 2,4,5-T.
Agent Orange's development came about in part due to work by Dr. Arthur W. Galston, a botanist who researched compounds that boost plant growt h, known as growth regulators. But after the U.S. military began using Agent Orange in Vietnam, Galston observed its effects and worked to publicize the damage that the defoliant caused to plants, animals, ecosystems and human health. He became one o f the foremost campaigners against the use of Agent Orange.
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