![]() ![]() They compared estimates with available guidelines and standards and discuss the implications with respect to current Air Force and VA policies. Researchers estimated dioxin body burden using modeling algorithms developed by the US Army and data derived from surface wipe samples collected from aircraft used in Operation Ranch Hand. Current policies stipulate that “non-biologically available dried residues” of chemical herbicides and dioxin would not have led to meaningful exposures to flight crew and maintenance personnel, who are therefore ineligible for Agent Orange-related benefits or medical examinations and treatment. The Air Force and Department of Veterans Affairs have previously denied benefits to these crew members. All but three of the aircraft were smelted down in 2009. After many years without monitoring, tests revealed the presence of dioxin (also known as TCDD). ![]() and were used by Air Force reserve units between 19 for transport operations. These aircraft were subsequently returned to the U.S. Lurker, PhD, PE, CIH, an environmental engineer with many years of experience evaluating environmental exposures in the Air Force.ĭuring the Vietnam War, in an operation known as “Operation Ranch Hand,” approximately 20 million gallons of herbicides, including around 10.5 million gallons of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, were sprayed by 34 C-123 aircraft. “These findings are important because they describe a previously unrecognized source of exposure to dioxin that has health significance to those who engaged in the transport work using these aircraft,” according to Dr. ![]()
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