'''Defoliants''' are [[chemical]]s which cause [[plant]]s to lose their leaves artificially; often used in agricultural practices for [[weed]] control, and may have detrimental impacts on [[human]] and ecosystem [[health]]. They have had controversial uses in war, such as the United States' dropping of 20 million gallons of '[[Agent Orange]]' in the [[Vietnam War]] to defoliate dense jungle. In the aftermath of the war, it was found that many health problems, such as diabetes and birth mutations, have occurred not only in the [[Vietnam]]ese population but also in the US soldiers who were exposed to the chemicals at the time<ref>http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/Herbicide/</ref><ref>http://www1.va.gov/agentorange/</ref>. | '''Defoliants''' are [[chemical]]s which cause [[plant]]s to lose their leaves artificially; often used in agricultural practices for [[weed]] control, and may have detrimental impacts on [[human]] and ecosystem [[health]]. They have had controversial uses in war, such as the United States' dropping of 20 million gallons of '[[Agent Orange]]' in the [[Vietnam War]] to defoliate dense jungle. In the aftermath of the war, it was found that many health problems, such as diabetes and birth mutations, have occurred not only in the [[Vietnam]]ese population but also in the US soldiers who were exposed to the chemicals at the time<ref>http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/Herbicide/</ref><ref>http://www1.va.gov/agentorange/</ref>. |