Agent Orange was a herbicide used by the United States during the Vietnam War.
Originally deployed to strip away forests and crops that might provide cover or sustenance to opposing forces, Agent Orange instead became a persistent chemical weapon, leaving behind contamination in soil, water, wildlife, and human populations.
From 1962 to 1971, under Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. military dispersed nearly 19 million gallons of herbicides across Vietnam about 11 million of which were Agent Orange. This compound, made from 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, was tainted with TCDD, a highly toxic dioxin that triggered devastating environmental and health consequences.