Vietnamese people continue to suffer from the long-term effects of Agent Orange. Twelve provinces were the most heavily sprayed with Agent Orange during the war. Ten of them are located around one of the three air bases that became the most contaminated with dioxin: Da Nang, Phu Cat, and Bien Hoa.
The half-life of dioxins in the soil is from 60 to 80 years. Dioxin persists for a long time in the environment by seeping into the soil and sediment. The harmful chemical also migrates into vegetation and aquatic life leading to bioaccumulation in the soil and food chain and a decrease in wildlife diversity.
The herbicide was sprayed from low-flying helicopters or C-123 Provider aircrafts, which were installed with sprayers and MC-1 Hourglass pump systems with 1,000-gallon chemical tanks. Some locations include images of the agent being sprayed or before and after pictures of the land.
Map of Vietnam’s most affected provinces following the Agent Orange chemical sprays:
Bien Hoa, Phu Cat, and Da Nang were among the most heavily sprayed provinces of Vietnam during the war. The map displays the percentage of province sprayed, gallons of dioxin sprayed, province rank, total area sprayed, and images of the areas where Agent Orange was deployed.
Agent Orange exposure has left a significant impact on U.S. veterans nationwide. While its effects are felt in every state, certain areas have a higher prevalence of health issues linked to Agent Orange among Vietnam veterans, largely due to their large veteran populations. This correlation can be explained by recruitment trends during the Vietnam War and the migration of veterans in the years that followed. States like California, Florida, and Texas, which are not only populous but also have significant military bases and strong veteran support systems, have a larger number of veterans.