Agent Orange Validation Study

This study investigated whether military records could be used to identify U.S. Army Vietnam veterans who were likely to have been exposed to the “Agent Orange” herbicide mixture. Blood levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a toxic contaminant in Agent Orange, were measured for 646 ground combat troops who served in heavily sprayed areas of Vietnam and for 97 veterans who did not serve in Vietnam. The blood TCDD levels of the Vietnam veterans were nearly identical to the levels found among the non-Vietnam veterans. In addition, the blood TCDD levels were not related to the estimate of Agent Orange exposure derived from military records or self-reported exposure.

Publication

The Centers for Disease Control Veterans Health Studies. Serum 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin levels in US Army Vietnam-era veterans. Journal of the American Medical Association 1988;260:1249–54.