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Agent orange in war medicine : An aftermath myth

Hardell, Lennart ; Eriksson, Mikael LU orcid and Axelson, Olav (1998) In International Journal of Health Services 28(4). p.715-724
Abstract

Since the late 1970s several epidemiological studies have appeared linking exposure to phenoxy herbicides or chlorophenols to some malignant tumors. Most of these compounds are contaminated with dioxins and dibenzofurans; for example, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a contaminant of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), a component of Agent Orange which was sprayed in Vietnam during the war. The results of some of the epidemiological studies on cancer risks associated with exposure to these compounds have been manipulated and misinterpreted, particularly by the Australian Royal Commission on the Use and Effects of Chemical Agents on Australian Personnel in Vietnam. Furthermore, a book on Australian war history... (More)

Since the late 1970s several epidemiological studies have appeared linking exposure to phenoxy herbicides or chlorophenols to some malignant tumors. Most of these compounds are contaminated with dioxins and dibenzofurans; for example, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a contaminant of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), a component of Agent Orange which was sprayed in Vietnam during the war. The results of some of the epidemiological studies on cancer risks associated with exposure to these compounds have been manipulated and misinterpreted, particularly by the Australian Royal Commission on the Use and Effects of Chemical Agents on Australian Personnel in Vietnam. Furthermore, a book on Australian war history entitled Medicine at War, commissioned by the Federal Government, reiterates several of these misinterpretations, despite available contrary evaluations from Australian and U.S. authorities. These remarkable and confusing circumstances in the scientific process are considered also in the light of the recent classification of TCDD as carcinogenic to humans, Group 1, by a Working Group at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
International Journal of Health Services
volume
28
issue
4
pages
715 - 724
publisher
Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:9842495
  • scopus:0031741653
ISSN
0020-7314
DOI
10.2190/L940-B8FK-3Y5E-RG86
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9ad7fb3f-e8ad-44c6-a356-3ff8f812a772
date added to LUP
2020-02-19 16:05:21
date last changed
2024-04-17 05:10:33
@article{9ad7fb3f-e8ad-44c6-a356-3ff8f812a772,
  abstract     = {{<p>Since the late 1970s several epidemiological studies have appeared linking exposure to phenoxy herbicides or chlorophenols to some malignant tumors. Most of these compounds are contaminated with dioxins and dibenzofurans; for example, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a contaminant of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), a component of Agent Orange which was sprayed in Vietnam during the war. The results of some of the epidemiological studies on cancer risks associated with exposure to these compounds have been manipulated and misinterpreted, particularly by the Australian Royal Commission on the Use and Effects of Chemical Agents on Australian Personnel in Vietnam. Furthermore, a book on Australian war history entitled Medicine at War, commissioned by the Federal Government, reiterates several of these misinterpretations, despite available contrary evaluations from Australian and U.S. authorities. These remarkable and confusing circumstances in the scientific process are considered also in the light of the recent classification of TCDD as carcinogenic to humans, Group 1, by a Working Group at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hardell, Lennart and Eriksson, Mikael and Axelson, Olav}},
  issn         = {{0020-7314}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{715--724}},
  publisher    = {{Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Health Services}},
  title        = {{Agent orange in war medicine : An aftermath myth}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/L940-B8FK-3Y5E-RG86}},
  doi          = {{10.2190/L940-B8FK-3Y5E-RG86}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}