| − | '''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]]. In recent times, they have had controversial uses in war, such as the United States' use of '[[Agent Orange]]' in the [[Vietnam War]] to defoliate dense jungle. In the aftermath of the war, it has been claimed that many health problems, such as birth mutations, have occurred in the [[Vietnam]]ese population, as a result of the use of Agent Orange<ref>http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/Herbicide/</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>. |