Work involving 2 3 7 8-TCDD contaminated herbicides

Diabetes mellitus - Work involving 2 3 7 8-TCDD contaminated herbicides Factor

Information relating to the use of dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) contaminated herbicides

[This information was provided in September 1999 by the Medical Services Section, Canberra]

The chemical TCDD (or more correctly, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) is an unwanted by-product of the manufacture of 2,4,5-T (2,4,5 trichlorophenoxyacetic acid). Unfortunately, 2,4,5-T manufactured during the 1950s and 1960s was contaminated with TCDD.

The first conflict in which TCDD-contaminated herbicides were used was the Korean War. No use of these chemicals was made in World war Two, or during the occupation of Japan following World war Two.

The use that was made in Korea was very small. In general, Korea had very little vegetation that was suitable for the use of herbicides. It is believed that the use was confined to U.S. personnel. There is no known record of any Australian using TCDD -contaminated herbicide in Korea.

The chemicals were again used in the Malayan emergency. In Malaya, they were used by British troops, but there is no record of Australians using the herbicides. There is no record of the chemicals being used in Borneo during the confrontation with Indonesia.

The chemicals were used extensively in Vietnam by US forces, and by forces associated with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) or South Vietnam. The use by Australian troops during the Vietnam conflict was very restricted. Use of the chemical began prior to the arrival of Australian forces in Vietnam.

Use of the chemicals in Vietnam was suspended in 1970, and there has been no use of the chemicals since that time in any operational deployment.

The use of TCDD-contaminated herbicides by Australian personnel in Vietnam was very restricted, and is confined to two specific events.

The first event, (described in the First Report (November 1982) of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Science and the Environment report into ‘Pesticides and the Health of Australian Vietnam Veterans’) was in December of 1967 and January of 1968.

At that time, the Australian army tested various herbicides. The personnel who are known to be directly involved in this testing are Mr G A Lugg and Major E S Holt. No other personnel were involved in this particular application of 2,4,5-T. They sprayed a minute amount (20mls) of 2,4,5-T. As a result of these tests, the Australian army concluded that there were other herbicides that were superior to 2,4,5-T, and decided to make no further use of the chemical.

The second incident (described in the Final Report of the Evatt ‘Royal Commission on the Use and Effects of Chemical Agents on Australian Personnel in Vietnam’ (July 1985) of the Senate Standing Committee on Science and the Environment) occurred on July 28 1968.

At that time, the Australian Task Force had run out of the herbicide that they usually used. As part of Operation Santa Fe, it was decided to destroy an enemy garden near the village of Thua Tich.

The hygiene officer, Major J C Rhodes, decided to use some supplies of Agent Orange that had been obtained from US sources. He participated in the mission himself, and there were three other personnel on the helicopter (one pilot and two gunners). The helicopter flew two sorties. There were also a number of field hygiene personnel who mixed the herbicides earlier in the day. National Office has a list of those individuals (10 personnel) who were members of the Field Hygiene Company on that day.

There are no other recorded incidents of Australian personnel using dioxin-contaminated herbicides. Neither of the recorded incidents described above, would satisfy the conditions set down in the Statement of Principles.

The Australian armed forces probably used 2,4,5-T during the 1950s and 1960s in Australia, as the chemical was in widespread civilian use at that time. As far as operational deployments are concerned, the available evidence is that the Australian armed forces choose to use other herbicides.