Agent Purple

Agent Purple was the military code name of a defoliant that was used by the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War to defoliate forests. It consisted of a mixture of the herbicide active ingredients 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid n-butyl ester (50%), 2,4,5- trichlorophenoxyacetic acid n-butyl ester ( 30%) and 2,4,5- trichlorophenoxyacetic acid isobutyl ester (20 %). The drug content was gl- 1, calculated as acid 1033. Agent Purple was the first herbicide that has been tested by the U.S. armed forces on a large scale for defoliation. These tests took place in 1959 at Camp Drum in upstate New York. In Vietnam, Agent Purple was the first herbicide that came to defoliate forests in September and October 1962 are used. After starting in 1965 Agent Orange was available, Agent Purple was no longer ordered. According to the Sprühberichten 1,892,773 l Agent Purple were applied, according to the procurement lists only 548 100 l have been purchased.

Agent Purple contained very likely more dioxin as Agent Orange, according to a sample of 45 ppm. In the early 1960s, the dioxin contamination of the active compound 2,4,5- trichlorophenoxyacetic acid may have been even higher. The herbicides were applied over a relatively small area until 1965, so that Agent Purple locally is likely to have led to particularly high dioxin residues.

Evidence

Agent Blue | Green Agent | Agent Orange | Pink Agent | Agent Purple | Agent White

• Mixture
• Herbicide ( military)